QP 2.2

Queens’ Play – Part 2 – Chapter 2 – Blois: Red Tracks in the Wood

Plot Summary

Phelim O’LiamRoe buys the wolfhound Luadhas as a present for Oonagh O’Dwyer. The court goes rabbit hunting. Among the hunting party are Mary Queen of Scots, the Irish party and the Irish women. A cheetah is entered into the hunt, which then endangers Queen Mary’s life. Luadhas is set off to distract the dangerous cat and gets killed.

Dates

• 14 November – Arrival at Blois (Vintage, p113).
• 17 late November – Jenny Fleming visits Thady, “some days later” (Vintage, p114). O’LiamRoe purchases the deerhound Luadhas, “that same afternoon” (Vintage, p115). Robin Stewart informs Oonagh and her aunt.
• 23 ? November – The rabbit hunt and the cheetah. “Next morning” (Vintage, p117). Less than “a week” before King Henri’s arrival at Blois on 28 November (see QP 2.3), (Vintage, p128).

Fictional Characters

• Francis Crawford of Lymond
• Persona: Thady Boy Ballagh
• Luadhas, a wolfhound
• Oonagh O’Dwyer
• Phelim O’LiamRoe
• Piedar Dooly
• Suzanne, the Queen’s leveret
• Theresa Boyle

Non-Fictional Characters

• Agnes Fleming
• Constable of France (referenced)
• Charles of Orléans (referenced)
• Duke de Guise
• James Fleming
• Janet Sinclair
• Jenny, Lady Fleming
• Madame de Valentinois
• Margaret Erskine
• Queen Dowager of Scotland
• Marshal de St André
• Mary Queen of Scots
• Robin Stewart

Locations

• Blois Castle
• Blois
• Gien (referenced)
• Neuvy (referenced)
• Rue Chemonton (referenced)

Literature

• Frère Lubin
• Soul as the turtil that hath lost hir make

Chapter Heading

• The dog that follows a woman

Other References

• Berners
• Boute-selle
• Break out in bolga
• Brittany hackney
• Cache-cache
• Callimachus‘ corpse
• Chien d'attache
• Clepsydra
• Failnis
• Flaming swords of Charles
• Hardel
• Hermaphrodite
• Horns stuttering du grêle
• Hunting Dogs
• Hunting
• Jennet
• Laisser courrer
• Leashed dogs
• Luadhaus
• Murrghach
• Ná buail do choin gan chinaid
• Parfitières
• The double crescents of Henri
• The porcupine of Louis
• The salamander of Francis
• The white fleet children of Souillard
• Strange crested staircase

Quotes from Dunnett

"Thady Boy, between this and no one murdering me at all, it's a poor day you've had." - "Ah, be still. The day's not over yet." Phelim and Lymond (Vintage, p121; Kindle loc. 2787)

Controversies

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Previous/Next

QP 2.1 / QP 2.3

References

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