The Master of Ballantrae · Character

Mrs. Henry

The spirited Alison Graeme, once betrothed to the Master, whose marriage to his brother becomes a battlefield of pride, estrangement, and unspoken grief.

supporting

Also known as Alison Graeme, Miss Alison Graeme, Miss Graeme, Alison, Mrs. Durie

First appearance: The Master of Ballantrae

As a supporting figure in The Master of Ballantrae, Mrs. Henry is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Alison Graeme, the Master's intended bride, is left behind and later marries Henry after the Master is presumed dead.

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Alison Graeme flings a coin through the family window when the Master rides away, and that fury never quite leaves her. Married to Henry, she finds herself trapped between a husband who recoils from her timid advances and a household that whispers the Master's name like a prayer. Her blushes, her quarrels, and her slow estrangement from Henry make her the emotional barometer of Durrisdeer's decay.

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Character Web

12 connections

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

Relationship types

Family
Romantic
Other

Character groups

Durrisdeer Household & Allies
Protagonist
Local Legal & Community Figures

+7 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the psychological peak of the narrator's dread and the re…

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Relationships

Mr. Henry
family · ambivalent
A strained marriage marked by Mr. How this plays out →
The Master
romantic · ambivalent
Mr. Henry
family · ambivalent
A strained marriage marked by Mr. How this plays out →
The Master
romantic · ambivalent
Mr. Henry
family · ambivalent
A strained marriage marked by Mr. How this plays out →

Mr. Henry
A strained marriage marked by Mr. Henry's insecurity and his wife's lingering, unrequited love for the Master.
The Master
She harbors a secret, doomed romantic obsession with the Master, which poisons her marriage to Mr. Henry.
Mr. Henry
A strained marriage marked by Mr. Henry's insecurity and his wife's lingering, unrequited love for the Master.
The Master
She harbors a secret, doomed romantic obsession with the Master, which poisons her marriage to Mr. Henry.
Mr. Henry
A strained marriage marked by Mr. Henry's insecurity and his wife's lingering, unrequited love for the Master.

Relationship notes

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In the story

Mrs. Henry appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Master of Ballantrae
Alison Graeme, the Master's intended bride, is left behind and later marries Henry after the Master is presumed dead.
I: Summary of Events During the Master’s Wanderings
Miss Alison Graeme, the Master's betrothed, who mourns him and resists Lord Durrisdeer's pressure to marry Mr. Henry, though she is influenced by his quiet persistence.
II: Summary of Events (Continued)
Treats Mackellar with condescension; is deeply attached to the Master's memory; weeps at the chimney-side with Lord Durrisdeer; opposes replacing the stained-glass pane.
IV: Persecutions Endured by Mr. Henry
Cold toward the Master after his exposure but later becomes the target of his romantic siege, appearing lost in listening to him.
Account of All That Passed on the Night of February 27th, 1757
Awakened by Mackellar, she shows courage but is devastated upon learning the Master is the one wounded; Mackellar implies she may have rebuffed the Master's advances.
VI: Summary of Events During the Master’s Second Absence
Nurses Mr. Henry alongside Mackellar; argues that the Master cannot be excluded from the house due to public opinion; later shows constancy and kindness but is troubled by her husband's indulgence of their son.
VIII: The Enemy in the House
Decides to flee to New York with her family, entrusting Mackellar with the keys to the house.
X: Passages at New York
Present at the confrontation, she rises with a pinched expression and takes her children inside.

Chapter companion notes

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