File No. 113 · Character

Gaston de Clameran

The younger Clameran brother, a fugitive who has killed two men for a woman's name and now begs her to share his exile.

major

Also known as M. de Clameran, de Clameran, M. Gaston, poor Gaston

First appearance: i

As a major figure in File No. 113, Gaston de Clameran is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The passionate lover of Valentine, who risks his life crossing the Rhone to meet her and later faces arrest for a murder he may have committed.

In the storyThe DramaOpen this moment free

Gaston de Clameran loves Valentine de la Verberie across a feud between their families, a love kept secret until gossip and violence tear it into the open. Wanted for killing two men who dared speak her name, he crosses the Rhone by night and pleads with her to flee with him under a false name, invoking a bond he calls stronger than any earthly tie. Valentine's refusal, grounded in duty to her mother and her own conscience, sets the tragedy in motion whose consequences will reach a Paris bank decades later.

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Character Web

34 connections

A slice of how Gaston de Clameran sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Family
Romantic
Other

Character groups

Protagonist
Past Connections & Grudges
Main Investigation Cast

+29 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the dramatic climax because Valentine’s psychological state peaks in a crisis of mortal dread and help…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Marquis de Clameran
family · ambivalent
Gaston is the younger brother of the Marquis, bound by blood but often at odds due to… How this plays out →
Valentine
romantic · ambivalent
Mme. Fauvel
family · negative
Marquis de Clameran
family · ambivalent
Gaston is the younger brother of the Marquis, bound by blood but often at odds due to… How this plays out →
Valentine
romantic · ambivalent
Marquis de Clameran
family · ambivalent
Gaston is the younger brother of the Marquis, bound by blood but often at odds due to… How this plays out →
Mme. Fauvel
family · negative
Mme. Fauvel
family · negative
Valentine
romantic · ambivalent

Marquis de Clameran
Gaston is the younger brother of the Marquis, bound by blood but often at odds due to rivalry and differing schemes.
Valentine
Gaston is secretly in love with Valentine, but their relationship is complicated by family secrets and the Marquis's schemes.
Mme. Fauvel
Gaston is the brother of Mme. Fauvel's former lover, creating a tense and secretive familial connection.
Marquis de Clameran
Gaston is the younger brother of the Marquis, bound by blood but often at odds due to rivalry and differing schemes.
Valentine
Gaston is secretly in love with Valentine, but their relationship is complicated by family secrets and the Marquis's schemes.
Marquis de Clameran
Gaston is the younger brother of the Marquis, bound by blood but often at odds due to rivalry and differing schemes.
Mme. Fauvel
Gaston is the brother of Mme. Fauvel's former lover, creating a tense and secretive familial connection.
Mme. Fauvel
Gaston is the brother of Mme. Fauvel's former lover, creating a tense and secretive familial connection.
Valentine
Gaston is secretly in love with Valentine, but their relationship is complicated by family secrets and the Marquis's schemes.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Gaston de Clameran in i

In the story

Gaston de Clameran appears across 7 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Drama
The passionate lover of Valentine, who risks his life crossing the Rhone to meet her and later faces arrest for a murder he may have committed.
XIII
Swims the Rhone to see Valentine; disguises as a sailor and escapes to Valparaiso.
XIV
Gaston is presumed dead but was sentenced in absentia for the Tarascon affair. Valentine still thinks of him and wonders if he will return.
XV
Louis's brother, who supposedly drowned in the Rhone; revealed to have had a son with Valentine.
XVI
Deceased brother of the marquis; revealed to be Raoul's father, having acknowledged him before his death.
Chapter XVIII
Flashback reveals his exile, fortune-seeking in Brazil, return to France, purchase of an iron-mill, and joyful reunion with Louis; later falls gravely ill and summons a lawyer to make his will.
XXII: The Catastrophe
His past love affair and flight are central to the backstory Verduret uncovers.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Gaston de Clameran unlock in the free preview.

See Gaston de Clameran in i

See Gaston de Clameran in The Drama