Riddle Me This Answers- REDUX

Here are the answers for the Beauchamp Riddle Me This Challenge, which covered Part 3 of Dragonfly in Amber.

1) He had no wish to cast aspersions,

Nay wish to arouse suspicions,

Did he know about his wife?

Some say “not on your life” –

Cuckold simply a French tradition.

Who am I?

Answer: Jules de la Tour, husband of Princesse Louise Rohan de la Tour, mistress to Bonnie Prince Charles.

2) A prince whose funds were frighteningly low

And little or nothing to borrow

With partner extreme

A new business scheme

From “where” would the needed cash flow?

Answer: The scheme was for Prince Charles to partner with St. Germain to import port from Gostos, the Portuguese island. The limerick asks “from where” the money would flow, which includes the source of the money Charles invested with Germain -- which includes the loan from the Italian banker Manzetti.

3) A real man, full of secrets, for sure

His thoughts, his deeds, many quite impure.

His wigs kept dusted,

Nay to be trusted

Who is this “invité d’honneur?”

Answer: The “guest of honor” is Sandringham. In the chapters we were covering for this challenge, Sandringham is identified as the guest of honor at the scandalous party held after Mary Hawkins was raped. In the same paragraph it is mentioned that “Germain was also invited, to make things interesting…” Although the description of the “impure, untrustworthy” person could lead some to guess Germain, the description in French serves to emphasize the guest-of-honor part.

4) To this “biscuit” family trilogy

Our fave Scot would’na pledge fealty

One blood, many lands,

Seeking an upper hand.

Who fought to expand their realty?

Answer: Three Bourbon Cousins: King James of Scotland, King Louis of France, and King Philip of Spain (apparently Bourbon biscuits/cookies are quite tasty in the UK)

5) A Darn John, All Tan = Jonathan Randall -- need we say more?

6) Our Entire Slum = Rue Tremoulins -- anything but slumlike, this was home to Jamie and Claire while in Paris

7) Mama Crunch Acorns = Marcus MacRannoch -- a big bear of a man, is mentioned in passing

8) “Murtagh’s eye, the morning after” = rotten banana (describing the way his eye looked the night after the hullaballoo w/ Mary Hawkins).

9) Queen Charlottes “house” = Castellotti (as in Castle and Lotti, a nickname for Charlotte)

10) A bird of prey stayed here = Rue Malory (the street on where Mary or Silas “HawksInn” resided)

ETA: Based on feedback from several sisters, perhaps we Beauchamps were a bit hasty or too strict in the interpretations of our answers. For that, we are humbly apologetic.