Flight of the Heron read-along: Part V chapters 3-4

[regshoe]

But till my last moments my words are the same: there'll never be peace until Jamie comes hame...

The penultimate week of the read-along, and in these chapters we are still very Jacobite.

Next week we will, sadly, read Part V Chapter 5 and the Epilogue.

Comments

[regshoe]

These chapters, especially chapter 3, often feel a bit odd structurally—it's a little quiet interlude between the drama of Ewen's escape and the final chapter. Things are still building towards the ending, of course, but there's less sense of momentum than a lot of books have at this proportion of pages left to go. In the meantime, however, there are lots of interesting details and side questions introduced. I especially like getting to see a little bit more of Aunt Margaret and her backstory—her capably handling the running of Ardroy in Ewen's absence.

I love Ewen's attention to his tenants' welfare and his responsibilities as a landowner. He's so earnest and such a sweetheart. There's a tinge of 'perhaps this is something of an indulgent anachronism, this kind of massive inequality and concentration of economic power is actually bad'—though from what I've read, contemporary Scottish landowners' attitudes to noblesse oblige and all that varied widely, but some of them did care about this sort of thing.

Ewen has thought about Keith quite a few times, and 'his pulse quickened with pleasure' at the prospect of meeting him again. :) I wonder about the passage where Ewen suddenly sees the meaning of the 'twisted threads' part of the prophecy, before falling asleep—like those lines themselves, the exact significance of this seems slightly mysterious. Qbrf ur unir fbzr cerzbavgvba bs jung vg zrnaf ivf-à-ivf gur raqvat (ohg gur zbbq bs gur cnffntr qbrfa'g ernyyl frrz gb fhvg gung), be vg fbzrguvat zber yvxr n ernyvfngvba nobhg uvf naq Xrvgu'f eryngvbafuvc?

I'm amused by 'something wholly unintelligible in which the word "honour" was alone distinguishable'. I feel that this line expresses something very fundamental about D. K. Broster as a writer.

Aww, Ewen's ongoing anxiety about his 'betrayal' of Lochiel—he's so earnest, so scrupulous... His insistence that Archie tell Lochiel EVERYTHING followed by his horror at Archie including the bits that show Ewen himself in an admirable light is rather sweet. And it's at once a shame, slightly funny and somewhat admirable that Ewen regrets his insults to Lord Loudoun, to the point of bringing this up alongside his betrayal of Lochiel. I don't agree, Ewen!

We get quite a lot of information about the history going on in the background of these chapters, although it's in bits and pieces rather than a long scene-setting passage. The wanderings of the Prince (and of Lochiel!), the memorable Flora MacDonald, and even a brief skip into the future and Archibald Cameron's death. The image of Ewen, Margaret and Archie drinking a health to King James is both affecting and interesting—Broster, writing from the future, knows that the Jacobite cause 'had already taken its last, its mortal wound', but it wasn't at all certain at the time—either to the Jacobites or to the Hanoverian government—that this was the case, and I think Broster does well in portraying the perspectives of contemporary Jacobites, with her own knowledge of the future colouring the story she tells but not leading her to misrepresent it. (I read another Jacobite novel last week, Bonnie Prince Charlie by G. A. Henty, which is particularly bad at this—imposed perspectives of the Whiggish historian everywhere—and so it stands out as a strength of Broster's!).

And then the 'creeping sense of chill' as we learn of poor Lachlan's quest for vengeance. The sense of the supernatural in the scene with Ewen and old Angus is powerful and eerie—reading it, I was reminded of sanguinity's recent ghost fic and how very well ghosts fit into this world... Uzz, creuncf gurer'f fbzr cbgragvny va n fgbel jurer Ynpuyna UNF qvrq, rvgure sebz Xrvgu'f cvfgby-fubg be bgurejvfr, ohg uvf iratrshy funqr arireguryrff pbagvahrf gb chefhr Xrvgu...?

The last bit of chapter 4, in which Ewen says farewell to Loch na h-Iolaire, is very beautiful. It's sad but so peaceful, with Ewen still devoted to his home but having reconciled himself to the need to leave it, and with the heron once again flying over the loch as it did a year before. It feels like a conclusion; unfortunately, it isn't, and hence the next chapter...

[osprey_archer]

Yes, it's an interesting choice structurally for the book to go so quiet here! But of course that meeting with Archie is so necessary: Ewen would never have been budged from Scottish soil without telling either Lochiel or some trusted confederate of Lochiel's about his "betrayal."

And then his dismay when Archie insists that he'll tell Lochiel the extenuating circumstances as well as the bare bones fact that Ewen betrayed his hiding place! Oh Ewen. He's lucky that Archie is such a skillful questioner, getting facts like "Guthrie almost had me flogged" out of him when Ewen sees no reason to mention that unprompted.

I agree about Broster's skill in interweaving her own knowledge of the future with the contemporary perspective of the Jacobites, who still dreamed that they might rise again. I think it's part of the same skillset that makes the prophecy work so well in this story: Broster is so good at setting up a feeling of inevitability while also leaving the characters/readers with room to hope against hope that perhaps things will work out after all...

V ybir gur vqrn bs Ynpuyna'f iratrshy tubfg pbagvahvat gb chefhr Xrvgu sebz ORLBAQ GUR TENIR. Obgu Rjra naq Xrvgu ner fhpu engvbanyvfgf gung vg zvtug gnxr gurz fbzr gvzr gb npprcg gung'f jung'f tbvat ba.

I meant to wait to read The Gleam in the Dark till the readalong was over (even though I've already read Flight of the Heron, so it's not like I skipped ahead or anything), but I ended up swooping through it yesterday and will be posting some scattered thoughts tomorrow.

[regshoe]

Hehe, Archie's skilful questioning combined with Ewen once again being betrayed by his sleep-talking habit :D

I think it's part of the same skillset that makes the prophecy work so well in this story

Yes! I suppose an in-story prophecy and the historical novelist's knowledge of future events are really the same sort of thing as far as the characters are concerned, and you're quite right that Broster uses both very well.

And another thing she does well in relation to the prophecy is combining a pervasive and powerful sense of the supernatural with believable scepticism from the characters—which would indeed present some very interesting opportunities for that fic idea, hmm, I'll think about it...

Ooh, I'll look forward to your thoughts on Gleam in the North! I don't really like it, but I think it is a good book in its own right—interested to hear what you think.

[sanguinity]

I agree, Aunt Margaret here was wonderful; I'm glad we got to spend more time with her.

I am as confused as you by whatever Ewen thought he understood in his almost-a-dream about the twisted threads. I presume this is equivalent to when I have a great plot idea for a story while falling asleep and spend an hour trying to recover whatever-it-was in the morning. Of course it almost always turns out in the morning to be unusable nonsense, rather than the poignant moment of profound beauty that sleepy-brain thought it was.

Seconding osprey_archer, your story idea in rot13 is wonderful. And ghosts do fit well into this world -- there was also the bit in last week's reading about Ewen wondering if he was dead and a ghost when Aunt Margaret didn't immediately look up from her reading when he came into the room, which made me think there was a story there, too.

Speaking of all the otherworldly things in these chapters -- we got at least three more prophecies from Angus! There was also the bit with Alison speaking to Ewen in a dream about her loneliness. It's left ambiguous as to whether it's purely a dream or not, but I rather read it as Mr Rochester calling calling to Jane across the moor in his loneliness. Every once in a while I wonder if Ewen has a tiny bit of the sight -- or would have, if he didn't automatically reject out of hand every vision and prophecy that comes to him.

[regshoe]

Spending more time with Aunt Margaret is always a good thing. :D

I presume this is equivalent to when I have a great plot idea for a story while falling asleep and spend an hour trying to recover whatever-it-was in the morning. Of course it almost always turns out in the morning to be unusable nonsense, rather than the poignant moment of profound beauty that sleepy-brain thought it was.

XD I know what you mean! Well, perhaps...

Ooh, I like the story possibility in Ewen returning to Ardroy as a ghost, too! Also the idea that Ewen might have something of the sight himself.

[luzula]

I presume this is equivalent to when I have a great plot idea for a story while falling asleep and spend an hour trying to recover whatever-it-was in the morning. Of course it almost always turns out in the morning to be unusable nonsense, rather than the poignant moment of profound beauty that sleepy-brain thought it was.

I actually have useful story ideas/developments at night! But unfortunately at the cost of my sleep. When my brain is especially excited about something I'm writing, I can't sleep and instead lie awake and the story develops in my head, and it's always useful and meaningful ideas that I remember the next day. But really, I'd prefer to sleep and develop the story during the day...

[hyarrowen]

We have another instance of voice recognition here; Ewen thinking it's Lochiel who wakes him at first, then realising it's Archie. I don't even know if voice timbres run in families but it seems to be a thing in Broster-world.

At Angus' vision of a boy with Ewen's name at Loch na h'Iolaire I too got a sudden vision - of David Cameron as one of Ewen's descendants! Argh... And I'm reminded of the anecdote DC once told of meeting the current Lochiel, and being greeted by him thusly: 'Hello, I'm your clan-chief,' which is a nice a put-down as can be imagined.

Continuing the theme of Angus' visions – here’s something that puzzles me. ‘I shall not see you, treasure of my heart… but these eyes will see my own son come back to me, and he too grieving.’ Fb qbrf Ynpuyna yvir nsgre Zbene, naq erghea gb Nathf?

I’m as baffled as everyone else by the threads that are twisted at the first meeting (honour? h/c? fighting?)

But I looked up the meaning of the ivy leaves that Ewen hears as he’s drowsily thinking about Keith. In the language of flowers, ivy means marriage or fidelity (and according to this website, immortality, as it’s evergreen. https://interestingliterature.com/2021/05/ivy-symbolism-in-literature-religion-mythology-analysis-meaning/ ) Presumably there’s a reason why DKB chose ivy rather than pine or whin or whatever, just as she chose Keith’s fheanzr\urenyqvp flzobyf bs uvf evat very specifically.

[tgarnsl]

But I looked up the meaning of the ivy leaves that Ewen hears as he’s drowsily thinking about Keith. In the language of flowers, ivy means marriage or fidelity (and according to this website, immortality, as it’s evergreen. Oh, I like that a lot. It is things like these that do make me wonder about how much of these meanings Broster intentioned — I know it's a bit of a useless question, but there are so many of these double meanings with their associated implications... one does wonder. The meanings of plants would seem to be significant, at any rate; Va gur crahygvzngr puncgre fur qenjf bhe nggragvba oevrsyl gb n unmry gerr — nppbeqvat gb n 19gu praghel obbx V unir ba Tnryvp anzrf sbe cynagf, unmry gerrf ner erpbeqrq guhf: 'Va Prygvp fhcrefgvgvba gur unmry jnf pbafvqrerq hayhpxl, naq nffbpvngrq jvgu ybff be qnzntr.' N engure cbvtanag zrnavat.

And ugh, thank you for putting in my head the thought of David Cameron as a descendant. I would like to scrub that particular notion from my brain now. (That being said, it has given me an idea for a line in a story I'm toying with...)

[hyarrowen]

I should have said, as he's lying on his bed, falling asleep thinking about Keith...

[luzula]

There's a tinge of 'perhaps this is something of an indulgent anachronism, this kind of massive inequality and concentration of economic power is actually bad'—though from what I've read, contemporary Scottish landowners' attitudes to noblesse oblige and all that varied widely, but some of them did care about this sort of thing.

I dunno, do you get the sense that Broster is criticizing the inequality of Ewen being laird? The narrative is not shy about criticizing people in power, but more because their characters and actions are reprehensible, not because the narrative shows social hierarchy and inequality as bad in themselves, IMO. I think she wants to show Ewen as someone who is good within the bounds of the clan system, whereas of course there are other lairds who exploit it (Finlay MacPhair in the next books are a good example of that). Also there's the question of whether she wanted to show her own opinions (whatever they were) or whether she just wanted to stick to what the characters themselves might think.

As to Ewen's attitude, he would probably stick to the old clan values, where the clansmen owed loyalty and rents to him and to Lochiel, but they in turn would protect the clansmen (who literally paid calps, or protection money, as well as rents) and help them in times of want. I think Ewen would be horrified at the process which was already underway among the Campbells and some other clans, of evicting clansmen and then letting the land to the highest bidder, because it would break that bond of loyalty (in the ideal case) between laird and tenant. From feudalism to capitalism! Which in actual history Lochiel had also wanted to do, but James III had asked him not to, because he would lose the military potential of the clan - the new tenants would not owe military service, or would at least be much harder to mobilize.

(I also like the idea of Keith and Ewen being haunted by Lachlan's vengeful ghost!)

[sanguinity]

'his pulse quickened with pleasure' at the prospect of meeting him again.

I just want you to know I spent ALL DAY yesterday thinking about this, and it's going to kill me. So thank you for that.

[owl]

There is maybe a hint of criticism when the woman at Achnacarry asks why the Prince ever came to Scotland and Ewen can't answer her - in the midst of the tragedy that that cascading chain of loyalties, from the Prince through the clan chiefs to the clansmen has brought on Lochaber.

Keith provides a POV character for criticism of Jacobitism, but he doesn't seem much troubled by the powerlessness of the rank and file on either the Jacobite or Hanoverian side, although he does object to brutality.

[sanguinity]

First time through, I didn't know how the novel comes out. Consequently, I didn't experience these chapters as a peaceful interlude at all: I'd been convinced through a lot of part 4 that Ewen was going to be executed -- or, best case, maybe die escaping. It was such an unexpected surprise and relief that he'd gotten away, that I read these chapters absolutely tense that it might all be taken away again in an instant, as Aunt Margaret kept worrying. And yet I was still quietly hopeful that we might get to a happy ending after all? Maybe?

And then we got to the conversation with Angus, where he passes on Lachlan's vow to kill Keith, and my OHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOO went off with the force of sirens.

(Although not, apparently, for Ewen: The story of Lachlan’s vow had perturbed him, but now he saw it in a far less menacing light. I am reminded of him being similarly dismissive of the heron prophecy. Poor Angus is touched with Cassandra's curse, where Ewen is concerned.)


When Ewen is dragging his heels about leaving, I find it a bit surprising and very interesting that Aunt Margaret tries to guilt him away to France via how Keith would feel, if Ewen were to be captured. Not his wife, not the memory of his foster brothers -- her first attempt is to use Major Windham! Which raises the question of exactly how much he has told her about their meetings -- a fair bit, apparently (does she know about the prophecy?) But also makes me wonder how he spoke of Keith, that she thinks that Major Windham is the first and best emotional prybar to use against Ewen.

And then Ewen responds that Keith would understand...! I just. For as close as his bonds of clan and family are to Aunt Margaret and others, it's Keith who most understands exactly where Ewen is right now, emotionally. Keith understands what he's been through, and what haunts him, and what still needs to be set right. It's rather breathtaking that Ewen, who has such close bonds to his kin, is best understood in this moment by his purported enemy.

(Meanwhile, he tells Margaret she doesn't know all the things about why he's dragging his feet, and she's all pointedly like, "you could tell me?" and he goes all silently moody and misunderstood like a teenager. Ewen! Talk to your Aunt who is far wiser than you're giving her credit for!)


There's a mention in these chapters that Lochiel is wounded -- I discovered in other reading that he was shot through the ankles at Culloden, which just, ow. Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow. Given that, it's little wonder that Archie views bringing one to the other as a nonstarter! (Even putting aside that everyone's first duty is to get away to safety so they may make another attempt later! Ewen's lame; Lochiel's lame; he's not going to carry one across the Highlands to meet with the other!)

That whole scene with Archie is wonderful. There's such a strong sense of an older and more centered person dealing with a beloved-but-despaired-of young hothead. He's gentle and understanding and a wonderful confidante, but he's also absolutely implacable to Ewen's drama. (And perhaps a little fondly amused by it? "You do realize that the part of this that would grieve Lochiel is your not trusting him to trust you? And yes, I AM going to tell him you were tortured, you made me promise to tell it all, so you have no one to blame for my passing on that part of it but yourself.") Vg'f bayl n oevrs fprar, ohg vg'f fgebat rabhtu gung lbh pna frr jul Oebfgre gubhtug fur pbhyq unat zbfg bs nabgure abiry ba Rjra naq Nepuvr'f eryngvbafuvc. (Not sure if that counts as a spoiler or not, but with an abundance of caution...)

Fuck, next week is the last two chapters already? *keens*

[osprey_archer]

You'd think that at this point Ewen would have the greatest possible respect for Angus's prophecies! But maybe there just isn't room in his head to worry about Lachlan's vow of vengeance on top of everything else.

I love the bit where Aunt Margaret is all "You could tell me??? what is troubling you????" and Ewen's response is ABSOLUTELY that of a sulky teenager, for all that he's in his twenties. SHE WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND. NO ONE CAN UNDERSTAND. HE MUST NEVER SPEAK OF IT TO ANYONE. Oh Ewen, God bless.

I wonder how Archie would have pried it out of him if it weren't for that fortunate happenstance that led Ewen to accidentally betray a bit of the trouble, when he thinks Archie doesn't trust him enough to tell him Lochiel's whereabouts. Doubtless Archie would have got it out of him eventually. (And yes, definitely Archie is a little fondly amused. I have the impression that, although Ewen is not generally given to dramatics, when he DOES get dramatic about something it goes very deep.)

[regshoe]

The continuing uncertainty over just how things are going to go in the end, just what tragedy the book is setting itself up to inflict on us, is beautifully done. Broster loves feinting over what's going to happen to the characters (she does something similar in Sir Isumbras at the Ford), and it's all a brilliant bit of story-construction and emotionally powerful writing. Also, LOL at the idea of Angus as Cassandra, poor Angus...!

That is a very good, and thoughtfully explained, point about Aunt Margaret first bringing up how Keith would feel about Ewen's stubbornness! Yes, it's immensely significant, as you say—in the implication of how much Ewen has felt the need to tell Margaret about Keith, in the fact that Keith is the first person she tries to use to persuade him, in his certainty that Keith would understand...

It's rather breathtaking that Ewen, who has such close bonds to his kin, is best understood in this moment by his purported enemy.

Yeah... I have nothing to add to this, but it is very correct and important. As has already been demonstrated, Keith and Ewen despite being on opposite sides have basically the same views on honour and so on, and a lot of respect for each other; but, more than that, Keith understands Ewen on an emotional level—better than any, apparently. Agh, this story is such a good use of the 'enemies to friends to lovers' trope!

Aww, Ewen the moody dramatic teenager :D

Fuck, next week is the last two chapters already? *keens*

*nods sadly*

[hyarrowen]

There's such a strong sense of an older and more centered person dealing with a beloved-but-despaired-of young hothead.

There's a wonderful moment in the ancient Scottish TV adaptation where Archie all but rolls his eyes as Ewen casts himself upon the bed. You get the impression that Archie has more or less had it and would like Ewen to grow up pronto. Archie has been risking his life, acting as courier, passing under the noses of the redcoats all this time and Ewen has been... staying at home dramatising?

[luzula]

A very fitting song. : )

And yet again I post my comment without reading any of the ones posted; let's see if there is overlap...

Aunt Margaret is far more sensible than Ewen! Obviously he should go to France--but I do find his behavior in character. I like the conversation with Archie, both because I like Archie as a character, and because I like his interaction with Ewen as a sort of older brother. Ewen is adorable through his eyes here: Ewen uttered a sound like a groan, and, twisting over, buried his face in the pillow; and presently there emerged some muffled words to the effect that he longed to go to Alison, but that...and then something wholly unintelligible in which the word ‘honour’ was alone distinguishable. Dr. Cameron looked down at the back of the uneasy auburn head with the affectionate tolerance which one might display to the caprices of a younger brother.

Awww! He mumbles something unintelligible about honour...of course he does. Their back-and-forth is lovely, too, with Ewen insisting Archie tell Lochiel about everything! Including the parts which show Ewen in a bad light! And Archie replies that yes, of course he'll tell him everything, including the parts about Ewen resisting torture for Lochiel's sake...

This bit about Keith is quite slashy: Again he counted them: here, at Edinburgh, on Beinn Laoigh, at Fort Augustus. And suddenly his pulse quickened with pleasure—that made four, only four!... No, of course, there had been two at Fort Augustus... Yet what (save his own recapture) stood now in the way of their meeting again some day?

And then we get the chilling plot set-up for the next chapter, in various ways...

Reading the bit about Ewen and Old Angus, it strikes me that there's something sort of Sam-and-Frodo about the way Neil and Lachlan and Angus collectively are so loyal to Ewen. Not that any of the characters are at all similar in their personalities, but the romanticized feudal loyalty is similar in Tolkien and Broster. And come to think of it, the anchor in a specific place/home is there in both (Ardroy and the Shire). But of course there are lots of differences, for example that Aragorn has pretty much no flaws as a royal leader, while both BPC and King George do. Uh, I did not set out to begin a compare-and-contrast with Tolkien, it just happened...I wonder if Tolkien ever read Broster, and if they ever met. (While writing this I got side-tracked and saw that apparently some people are trying to get Tolkien canonized?!?)

Is it just me, or does this sound kinda Catholic? But I bless you, my son, with all the blessings of Bridget and Michael; the charm Mary put round her Son, and Bridget put in her banners, and Michael put in his shield I thought Old Angus was an Episcopalian like almost all the Camerons...

The last scene with Ewen by the loch is beautiful! And again with the ties and comparisons between religion and love of place/home: He went to it, and, stooping with difficulty, dipped a cupped hand into the water and raised it to his lips. Perhaps that sacramental draught would give him to see this scene as bright and sharp in dreams, over there in the land of exile whither, like his father, like all who had not counted the cost, he was going. And also the ties/comparisons between religion and Jacobitism, which of course are quite accurate historically. Also, that's just beautiful writing...

[hyarrowen]

I'm pretty sure Broster and Tolkien would have crossed paths at Oxford, at least. She was a very successful author while he was still a young lecturer there. And she had as responsible a position as women were allowed in academia at the time (let's not go there) - secretary to the Regius Professor of History iirc - basically the Archhistorian at Oxford.

I remember taking a sip of water at the spring at Delphi with much the same 'this is Significant' feeling as Ewen did here. I probably got the idea from FotH, tbh. Ah me, the silliness of Youth.

[hyarrowen]

Re: your point about Ewen and the MacMartins, and Frodo and Sam - both DKB and Broster served on the Western Front - and Sam's liyalty and dependability was specifically based on the officer\batman relationship. (For my part I find that more admirable than a feudal relationship which has such a big power imbalance.)

As for getting Tolkien canonised, whut??? But at least he's less problematic than many a prominent Catholic figure.

[tgarnsl]

Is it just me, or does this sound kinda Catholic? Speaking as someone raised as a Scottish Episcopalian, the best way I can describe the church is Catholic Lite. There are some significant differences between Catholicism and Scottish Episcopalianism, such as (obviously) no pope and no confession, but there is also a lot of overlap, such as a belief in saints. Unlike Catholicism, you won't really pray for a saint's intercession, but as I understand it you pray alongside saints, who are held to be a part of the church.

ETA: I'm no theologian, though, and should also state that there is a lot of variation within the church, so take my word with a grain of salt!

[regshoe]

A Tolkien-Broster comparison could be interesting... yes, as hyarrowen has pointed out there's the Oxford connection, and I think it's likely he was at least aware of her as a writer. (Apparently Tolkien also knew and admired the work of Mary Renault, who was also at Oxford around this time—which surprised me a little!—but I really wonder if Renault and Broster knew each other's work. Although Renault's historicals at least are a bit too late for Broster to have read them.)

(While writing this I got side-tracked and saw that apparently some people are trying to get Tolkien canonized?!?)

o_O

Is it just me, or does this sound kinda Catholic?

I thought so too! I suppose, as well as the Catholic-ness of Episcopalianism, there's also a connection between Catholicism and folk-Christian beliefs, which this sounds like.

And good points about the scene by the loch—it is indeed beautiful, and yes, that 'sacramental' is significant (like Ewen's grief that he won't see the places he loves in heaven, it's not a typical/orthodox religious belief, but one that follows very naturally from Ewen's character and the place of faith in his thought, and works very well as part of the story).

[tgarnsl]

Life has rather overtaken me these past few weeks, so I have not been able to keep up with the readalong as I would have liked. I'll try to put down a few thoughts, although I'm sure what I have to say has been said better by others elsewhere.

Part IV, Chapter V:
- With regards to Ewen's distrust of the Earl of Loudoun, I wonder how much of it is ancient clan animosity (fwiw, the Camerons were no angels and were noted as cattle thieves) and how much of it is remembrance of more recent events involving the Campbells, such as the 1692 Glen Coe massacre, which saw Scottish government forces, which was led by a Campbell and involved members of the clan, murder a number of Glen Coe MacDonalds, allegedly for failing to swear allegiance to William and Mary. Apparently, during the Uprising Prince Charles invoked the memory of the massacre by publishing in a newspaper contemporary documents concerning the affair.
- Captain Greening — I know hyarrowen made mention of it, but I also do wonder if Greening was based on any officers Broster knew during the war. I have friends in the army, and I have it on good authority that army captains are often the biggest a-holes around, at least in modern militaries. It is often a dead-end job, and those who make captain often never rise above that rank, leading to a dangerous combination of resentment and over-confidence in ability. I would imagine that it was much the same in the 18th century — someone like Greening may have been able to attain the rank of captain, but due to poverty or a lack of patronage would not have attained higher. It would certainly give him a motivation for obtaining valuable information from Ewen: being the man responsible for the capture of Lochiel would likely gain the attention of his superiors, and might help him secure a promotion.
- Ewen crying on finding out that Lochiel escaped is such a poignant moment. I do wonder how much his tears are for Lochiel, and how much they are for everything he has himself endured. I wouldn't be surprised if even he himself doesn't know where that line lies.

Chapter VI:
- Keith is back to being complicit in war crimes, and generally being a bit of Byronic hero (although there's an argument to be made that he is somewhat of a deconstruction). I find it very interesting how he distances the man he is as a soldier from the man he is with Ewen: I think there's a strong argument to be made that at some point during his childhood, Keith tried to mould himself into someone he was not, someone who his mother and others could love, perhaps, which eventually became Windham the soldier instead of Keith the man. I feel that we get a hint of this in the line “[...]Lord Orkney, who, when Keith was a mere boy, had promised the pair of colours in the Royal Scots which had saved his mother so much trouble and expense — and had deprived him of any choice in the matter of regiment." Sure, he was denied a choice with regards to what regiment he joined, but to me there is also the subtle implication that he was denied a choice in what path he took in life, both by the expectations of his family, as well as presumably financial pressures. The Wi/yndham family historically were landowners in Somerset and Norfolk, but Keith's father being a military man implies to me that he was a second or third son, if not an outright distant relation, and therefore not in line for inheriting land. The fact that Keith makes no mention of owning an ancestral home, or of owning any land at all, would support this theory. While he evidently has money (the guineas he leaves for Ewen in exchange for the stolen clothes amount to about £500 today) it would seem that he isn't extremely wealthy either, given that he is 30 or 31 when he attains the rank of major, something that would have likely occurred earlier had he been a man of significant means.
- With regards to Keith the man, however, I find it interesting how Broster seems to use language to differentiate between the two sides of him: “The shelf has an uncommonly sobering effect upon a hot-tempered and ambitious man, and it did not require two months of it to bring reflection to Major Windham. [...] The first fruit of this new prudence had been Keith’s abstention, not only from writing to Ewen Cameron, but even from sending him a direct message.” I would be interested in exploring further how Broster uses names as signifiers of something else going on; I certainly feel for Keith that the use of 'Captain/Major Windham' is significant, whether from his own POV or that of others'. Gur zbfg cbvtanag hfr vf, bs pbhefr, uvf svany zbzragf nyvir, jurer Rjra, qrfcvgr pnyyvat uvz 'Jvaqunz', guvaxf bs uvz nf 'Xrvgu'.
- On an unrelated note, Keith's ability to single out any attractive man, such as Captain Ferrers, in his immediate vicinity amuses me greatly.
- With that in mind, however, his complete inability to understand his attraction to Ewen is fascinating. He is willing to sacrifice a tremendous amount for Ewen, yet he cannot understand why it is he is doing so. The interaction between Keith and Cumberland is perhaps one of my favourite moments of the whole series, and I desperately would like to see it in a (good) modern adaptation where we could have the non-bowlderised invectives. “...After that the storm was loosed on Keith, and a flood of most unprincely invective it was. The names he was called, however, passed him by without really wounding him much. They were nothing compared to those he would have called himself had he sold Ardroy’s life as the price of his own advancement.” Oh Keith, you numpty. That's love.

...this post has gotten rather long. I'll post this, and continue in another comment.

[hyarrowen]

I've seen the rank of captain described as "the cad's rank." In connection with James Hewitt, I think.

Keith's ability to single out any attractive man, such as Captain Ferrers, in his immediate vicinity amuses me greatly.

Oh, lol, I hadn't thought of that!

[luzula]

I would be interested in exploring further how Broster uses names as signifiers of something else going on; I certainly feel for Keith that the use of 'Captain/Major Windham' is significant, whether from his own POV or that of others'.

regshoe did a nice analysis of that here!

Good notes on Captain Greening.

[regshoe]

I hope the life things are not too stressful!

Good points about Glencoe and Greening's potential background and motivations. Aww, I love the idea of learning that Lochiel escaped being the moment that releases the emotional floodgates, as it were, and lets Ewen cry over his own sufferings as well. Poor Ewen.

Very interesting thoughts on Keith's emotional separation of himself into 'Captain/Major Windham' and 'Keith', and the hints of how his backstory might have contributed to that. Poor Keith. (And all this is very interesting in view of my never-quite-managed idea of convincingly writing a story where Keith actually gives up his military/Hanoverian allegience—hmm, thoughts). luzula has already linked my meta post on names (thank you! :) ), but that focussed mainly on how names convey the changing relationship between Keith and Ewen—I think there's quite possibly a lot more to be investigated about how names convey Keith's view(s) of himself. And I love how Broster pays so much attention to all these details—such a good writer...

Hehe, good point also about Keith and Ferrers! I noticed someone nominated Keith/Ferrers for Chocolate Box, which intrigued me. And I also love Keith's ability to act on feelings he doesn't understand.