After finishing The Scarlet Pimpernel for the first time, I felt the ending was a bit of a letdown and was disappointed that, after all she went through, Marguerite still hadn't contributed anything useful to her husband's mission. Fortunately, I liked the book enough to read it a second time, which is when I realized something that had entirely escaped me earlier: If Chauvelin had been watching the Père Blanchard's hut along with his henchmen, the Scarlet Pimpernel's plan would have failed completely. Unlike the men he terrified into disobeying Common Sense to adhere to his orders to the letter, Chauvelin would definitely not have allowed Armand and the fugitives to walk away freely and unscathed... but where was Chauvelin while his soldiers were watching the four men up and leave the hut? Busy guarding and threatening Marguerite! If she hadn't been there, her husband would have been unable to send the fugitives out of the hut and safely to the getaway boat without them being stopped. Marguerite was the wrench in Chauvelin's plans. Percy's Batman Gambit saved the day, but it never would have succeeded without Marguerite's distraction. She was absolutely necessary after all!
