File No. 113 · Character

Valentine

A young woman of fierce conscience who chooses duty over the lover she adores, and pays for that choice across a lifetime.

major

Also known as XIII Valentine, Valentin - Raoul Wilson, Little Raoul, Raoul, Valentine de la Verberie, Mlle. Valentine, Poor Valentine

First appearance: i

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

The beloved of Gaston, a young woman with a timid heart, repressed by her harsh mother, the Countess de la Verberie.

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Valentine de la Verberie loves Gaston de Clameran with a passion that defies the feud between their families, but when he begs her to flee with him after killing two men, she refuses. Her duty to a hard, friendless mother and the voice of her own conscience hold her back, even as she confesses that stolen happiness must be paid for in bitterness. Her renunciation, and the secret she carries from that night, becomes the buried root from which the novel's present-day crime grows.

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See Valentine in i

Character Web

32 connections

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

Relationship types

Family
Psychological
Other

Character groups

Main Investigation Cast
Minor Witnesses & Servants
Past Connections & Grudges

+27 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

Mme. Fauvel
family · ambivalent
Marquis de Clameran
psychological · negative
Gaston de Clameran
romantic · ambivalent
Prosper Bertomy
friendship · positive
Madeleine
friendship · positive
Marquis de Clameran
psychological · negative
Gaston de Clameran
romantic · ambivalent
Prosper Bertomy
friendship · positive
Mme. Fauvel
family · ambivalent
Mme. Fauvel
family · ambivalent
Prosper Bertomy
friendship · positive
Madeleine
friendship · positive

Mme. Fauvel
Mme. Fauvel is Valentine's mother, deeply protective but strained by secrets and the daughter's romantic entanglements.
Marquis de Clameran
The Marquis exerts a manipulative, obsessive influence over Valentine, using her as a pawn in his revenge plot.
Gaston de Clameran
Gaston is secretly in love with Valentine, but their relationship is complicated by family secrets and the Marquis's schemes.
Prosper Bertomy
Prosper and Valentine are childhood friends, with Valentine supporting him during his ordeal.
Madeleine
Madeleine and Valentine are close friends, with Madeleine acting as a confidante and protector.
Marquis de Clameran
The Marquis exerts a manipulative, obsessive influence over Valentine, using her as a pawn in his revenge plot.
Gaston de Clameran
Gaston is secretly in love with Valentine, but their relationship is complicated by family secrets and the Marquis's schemes.
Prosper Bertomy
Prosper and Valentine are childhood friends, with Valentine supporting him during his ordeal.
Mme. Fauvel
Mme. Fauvel is Valentine's mother, deeply protective but strained by secrets and the daughter's romantic entanglements.
Mme. Fauvel
Mme. Fauvel is Valentine's mother, deeply protective but strained by secrets and the daughter's romantic entanglements.
Prosper Bertomy
Prosper and Valentine are childhood friends, with Valentine supporting him during his ordeal.
Madeleine
Madeleine and Valentine are close friends, with Madeleine acting as a confidante and protector.

Relationship notes

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

See Valentine in i

In the story

Valentine appears across 4 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Drama
The beloved of Gaston, a young woman with a timid heart, repressed by her harsh mother, the Countess de la Verberie.
XIII
Waits anxiously at La Verberie; resists Gaston's pleas to elope, citing duty to her mother.
XIV
Valentine suffers under her mother's cruelty, haunted by Gaston's memory and the legal consequences of his disappearance. She struggles with the decision to confess her past to André Fauvel.
XV
The mother of Gaston's son; later married the wealthy banker Fauvel.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Valentine unlock in the free preview.

See Valentine in i

See Valentine in The Drama