Minnie ponders her dad's ulterior motives in A Fugitive Green chapter 5. Here's our breakdown of the chapter.
We cut back to Minnie, as she continues to find her way around London. However, she’s shocked to find out that her dad seems to be preparing her for marriage. Is this the case, or is this a way to give her a cover while she is in London? After all, a woman on her own would be noticeable for the wrong reasons.
There is some foreshadowing going on in this chapter, considering what we know of Minnie and Hal in the future. Oh, how I can’t wait to see them connect.
Breaking down A Fugitive Green chapter 5
The chapter starts with Minnie and Lady Buford talking, and that’s when Minnie realizes that her dad is up to something. Lady Buford is in the match-making business, and she’s prepping Minnie for all types of matches that might be possible. This leads to thoughts on merchants, Army and Navy officers, and members of the peerage.
It’s Minnie who wants to know if a member of the peerage is an option, and Lady Buford agrees, but it would need to be someone on the “impoverished” side. Considering we know that Minnie ends up with Hal, I had to chuckle as I read this part.
There is a practical lesson in this, though. Lady Buford thinks that Minnie should build up her own independent income, as by marrying a peer, she would lose all her money to her husband’s estate.
With everything in mind, Lady Buford now has a shopping list and a plan, and off she goes. The good thing about all of this is that it means Minnie will be at social engagements, and that will allow her to collect information easily. I wonder if her dad is trying to set her up for marriage or just make sure she has a cover.
We do find out that Minnie has an appointment book and a second sketch book. That sketchbook is already filled with beautiful drawings, and this is where all the real appointments are kept. There’s a code in the images, and one of them takes Minnie to an appointment with a source at Vauxhall Gardens. We’ll have to wait to find out about that.
Of course, Minnie has her own arc going on, as well. She has tried to write to her mom many times, but she can’t quite find the words. In the end, she has put the words together, and she asks the Higgins brothers to deliver it. Sure enough, there ends up being a reply at the end of the chapter, and it’s time for mother and daughter to meet.
Could this chapter be used in an adaptation?
If A Fugitive Green was ever adapted, we would need this chapter used. After all, it gives us a look at the society of the time, and it tells us a little more about what Minnie is potentially looking for in a man. Mainly, it shows how she’s able to think on the spot, while also realizing that her dad is up to something.
There is a plot point that also needs to be covered, and that’s the letter to Mrs. Simpson. We would need to see Minnie write and rewrite this, because I bet she went through a few versions of what to say.
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