Victor Arbuthnot was a former Jacobite and an old friend of Gerard Grey.
Personal History[]
Victor Arbuthnot was an old friend of Gerard Grey and by extension the Grey family. The pair enjoyed a shared interest in astronomy.
Arbuthnot was also a Jacobite who conspired with Catholics in Italy and Ireland prior to the Jacobite Rising of 1745. At some point Arbuthnot's friend, Gerard Grey, learned or suspected that Arbuthnot was part of a Jacobite conspiracy, though he did not immediately act on the information.
After being caught, Arbuthnot gave a statement where he named several Italian and Irish co-conspirators. He also conspired with fellow English Jacobites Lord Creemore and Edwin Bellman, though he did not reveal their names.[1]
Lord John Series[]
Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade[]
Lord John Grey, Benedicta Grey, and Harold Grey are all anonymously given pages from Gerard Grey's journal that mention Arbuthnot. Lord John fondly recalls a night spent stargazing with Arbuthnot and his father. Hal later visits Bath and learns that Arbuthnot was a Jacobite and gave up several of his conspirators names under influence from Hubert Bowles. Arbuthnot's confession was used as the basis of the arrest warrant issued for Gerard Grey. When questioned by Hal, Arbuthnot swears he did not give Gerard's name in his confession (and that Gerard was not a Jacobite), and Hal believes him. According to Arbuthnot, his confession was "guided" by Bowles.
It's later revealed that Gerard was killed by Bernard Adams, another Jacobite co-conspirator who did not want Gerard to expose Arbuthnot and the others.