Episode six of Belgravia: The Next Chapter ended with Reverend James meeting Frederick and letting him know about his real parentage. Frederick knew it to be true, but he chose to stay in denial and blamed his brother for further worsening their relationship. Frederick walked away from his ailing brother. He and Clara are also at an all-time low in regard to their marriage, and nothing seems to be working in their favor. Emily was taking care of James and was slowly falling in love with him without realizing his real sexuality.
Spoilers Ahead
What Did Ross Learn About Marquise D’étagnac?
Ross had sent Mr. Keck to find more information about Marquise D’Étagnac from her hometown in France. The man was back with detailed information about her and the family. Her real name was Mathilde Balmadeir, and she belonged to a poor family from the town of Etagnac and had married the heir of a rich aristocrat who had almost become a pauper. She married the person only for the title and was responsible for bringing back their glory by taking several loans and establishing many businesses.
Mathilde, who by then was Marquise, eventually began to trick people into investing in her business, which cost many bankers their jobs. She had many powerful friends in Paris that prevented her from getting arrested. Eventually, when she was on the verge of being arrested over the same crimes, she and her entourage moved to London in the hope of remaining hidden in the city and perhaps fooling businessmen like Frederick into investing in her businesses. Ross was privy to this information, and he began to hatch a plan to expose the woman who was robbing Frederick’s money.
Did The Duchess Of Rochester Defend Clara?
At an afternoon tea session, women were speaking about Clara meeting with Dr. Ellerby in public places, implying she was having an affair with the man. The Duchess of Rochester was quick to defend her friend and claimed she was undergoing treatment for anxiety as she was not used to living in the city and claimed Dr. Ellerby had been a great help to her. Marquise D’Étagnac jumped into the conversation and added the fact that Clara was frequenting the bohemians and attending their meetings, where she met with Dr. Ellerby and his friends, who are artists and other free-minded people that the elite looked down upon. Marquise D’Étagnac was showcasing her double standards by gossiping about Clara’s character, while she was the one who’d encouraged the young woman to follow her heart. The Duchess of Rochester, who was slightly conservative and was Frederick’s friend, was affected by the French woman’s words. Marquise D’Étagnac did not sugarcoat anything about Clara’s association with the group that many in the elite consider to be dangerous for society.
Why Was Emily Angry At Her Sister?
The Duchess of Rochester was quick to inform Clara’s family about what she heard from the Marquise D’Étagnac. Emily was livid at her sister for choosing a life outside of the mansion instead of working on the marriage. Emily lashed out at Clara for ruining the reputation of their family and reducing her prospects of marriage with Reverend James. Emily, instead of hearing her sister out, was worried about her own life and chose to force Clara to be the wife Frederick expected her to be. Clara learned about James’s sexual orientation from Lady Davison and tried to explain the same to her sister. Emily was too consumed by the love she had for James, and was obsessed with the idea of marrying another Trenchard, and refused to hear anything about him. In a fit of anger, Emily reveals the truth about Frederick’s parentage.
What Was Ross’ Plan?
Ross was now fully aware of Marquise D’Étagnac’s plan of action. She had planned to bankrupt Frederick and possibly leave the city. Ross confronted Marquise D’Étagnac and her entourage about her plans. Ross, instead of going to the police, chose to blackmail the woman and the people who helped her carry out the con. Ross was not afraid and demanded half of the money Frederick planned to invest to keep his mouth shut. He had hoped this would make some sense to the woman who was not done playing the con artist. Ross was willing to betray his employer and work with these people who had conned many others in the past. Marquise D’Étagnac chose to wait to see if Ross would retaliate, but later, they decided to eliminate him.
Did Clara And Frederick Break Up?
Frederick was informed about Clara, and he chose to confront her again over baseless allegations of her infidelity. Clara was heartbroken over the fact that he chose to believe the gossip instead of asking her about it and had begun to question her character. He’d believed Clara would betray him from the beginning of their marriage, and the revelation was not a surprise for him. Clara was upfront about her husband not trusting her from the start, and it was never about the gossip he heard. Clara was devastated to learn Frederick was willing to believe the worst in people and live by that pain without trying to find any clarity. Since his father and mother betrayed him all his life, he did not trust Clara right from the start of their marriage. Clara blurted out that she was aware of his parentage, yet she chose not to argue with him over it. Clara was blunt about Frederick’s being in denial about everything and not dealing with the pain caused by his father.
What Was Clara’s Plan Of Action?
Clara was appalled by the accusations thrown at her by Frederick, and in a fit of anger, she chose to leave the mansion, and Lady Davison joined her. Clara wanted to get away from the city that ruined her marriage. She wanted Frederick to pay for the mistake he made by choosing to believe the social elite and not her. His accusations were the last straw, which made her want to move away without informing anyone, including her husband. Clara initially chose to say goodbye to Dr. Ellerby, as she believed he had the right to know. She soon learned Nell’s deceased child’s father was Dr. Ellerby and was quick to believe he was a habitual sweet talker who would abandon her as well. Clara was too angry to process the information and chose to meet Ross in the hope he could help her.
Ross himself was on the verge of leaving the town, fearing his life would be in danger. He was aware that Marquise D’Étagnac and the people who worked for her wanted him dead. He chose to move to Hull and lie low before he formed his plan of action against Marquise D’Étagnac. Ross was running away with Frederick’s deeds and never informed Clara about them upon hearing her cause. He asked her to join his trip to Hull, and Clara agreed to it. Ross almost came close to sexually assaulting and robbing Clara, but not before Lady Davison rescued her. Both women plan to leave Hull to avoid being noticed by police who might come looking for them.
Lady Davidson believed Ross had died, but she witnessed him following her, but not before a man grabbed him. The man who captured Ross worked for Marquise D’Étagnac, and it seemed Ross would not be long for this world. Clara and Lady Davison had no clarity on what they wanted from life at this juncture. Davison chose to stick with Clara because she knew, at heart, that she was a wonderful woman who wanted only good for her husband and her family. She was the only person who believed her.
Did Frederick Lose Everything?
Frederick reached his foundry only to find Ross gone with the papers about his business. Ross had left a letter explaining Marquise D’Étagnac’s con. Frederick had not recovered from the shock when he learned about Mr. Enright spying on him for Marquise D’Étagnac.
Frederick headed to Marquise D’Étagnac’s home, only to find it empty. He expected to hear some explanations from the woman with whom he was planning to expand his business. He wanted answers from her and hoped what Ross claimed was a lie. Frederick felt like a fool after reaching the Marquise D’Étagnac’s townhouse. He was further livid to see Clara’s painting left by them. They knew Frederick would come looking for them and chose to antagonize him by placing the painting there. The image would distract him from their matter. Frederick headed to speak to the Duke of Rochester about Marquise D’Étagnac’s con work and was quick to understand that the aristocrat was in no mood to help him with the mess that was about to be created. He had not only lost the money, but Ross had also taken away important papers regarding his business, which would render him bankrupt.
Frederick fired Mr. Enright for betraying him and his family. Mr. Enright, from the start, was known to be someone who was a witness to the trauma Frederick went through. He only had good words for him, yet he chose to betray the family. Frederick was shocked to see Clara gone as well. As a husband, he had hoped Clara would mope over the allegations but would choose to rectify her mistakes for the sake of the marriage. Clara’s exit hurt him the most, as he had expected her to be there for him in his grave hour of need. Personally, and professionally, Frederick was not in a sound place.
