Roland Fairleigh Mathieson

• Aliases: Roland Otton, Roland Fairleigh, Captain Firebrand
  
• Nicknames: Roly
  
• First Appearance: Practice to Deceive
  
• Main Appearances: all of The Golden Chronicles with a leading role in The Dedicated Villain
  
• Age:
  
• Description:
  "velvety black eyes of the pale young Adonis" JTE
  "this individual, although rather wan-looking, was almost indecently handsome ... thick waving hair ... his eyes, long- lashed, brilliant, and near black, were set under heavy, slightly flaring brows, his nose was straight and classically slim, his cheekbones high, his chin resolute, the well-shaped lips above it curving now to an impudent grin" TT
  
• Characteristics: keeps his word almost fanatically which causes him some little trouble in Love Alters Not and Cherished Enemy; Merry Carruthers says that "the nice thing about this particular friend is that there's no doubting his reprehensible qualities. He makes no bones of the fact that he's a rascal, which simplifies matters." TT
  
• Profession: Bounty Hunter
  
• Relevant Relatives:
  Grandfather: the Duke of Marbury
  Father: Dudley, Lord Fairleigh
  Mother: Juliette de Fleury
  Cousin: Captain Jacob Holt
  
• Love: Fiona Bradford
  
• Animals: Rump(elstiltskin)
  
• Patron Saint: Thomas
  
• Back History: His mother was seduced by his father who only took care of Roly after her death because of the Duke of Marbury's insistance. Roly, a sensitive child, was consistantly traumatized by his father's brutality (both mental and physical) and often found himself the only champion of his mother. In fact, it was over her memory that Roly and the Duke fell out after Dudley's death. A stint in the military and then a a career as a mercenary led to Roly's adoption of the name Otton in order to conceal his birthright (vague though it was, considering he's illegitimate). Roly has few friends, among them his cousin Captain Jacob Holt, schoolchum Merry Carruthers, at one time Anthony Farrar and if things had been different, Robert MacTavish. In Practice to Deceive, Roly is the villain and his obsessive pursuit of the Jacobite Treasure (and Jacobites themselves) leads him to dishonourably participate in the torture of Quentin Chandler, a deed that shames him for a long time after. Penelope Montgomery also figures somewhat as coming close to engendering the only gentler feelings Roly has known up to that time. His conflict with Quentin results in his defeat at the latter's hands and a wound that incapacitates him for much of the second novel (JTE) wherein he attempts to pursue Ligun Doone (aka Geoffrey Montgomery, Baron Delavale). His pursuit again fails and his affair with Sybil Montgomery also comes to an end. In the third novel, he is mostly recovered from his wound and continues to chase the treasure. He only aids his friend Merry in exchange for information about the cypher (which will lead to the treasure). In the fourth novel, his friendship with Anthony Farrar is in tatters due to the latter's friendship with the Chandlers. Once again, Roly attempts to trace the treasure but, due to Dimity Cranford's extracting a promise from him (that he never harm a Jacobite), and the presence of Quentin's brother, Roly again fails. Although he does gain another portion of the cypher, Roly's sense of honor (limited though it is) and given word induce him to not only defend Farrar in a duel but also to try to persuade his grandfather to use his influence to help Farrar. At this point, Roly and his grandfather's paths cross again, to their mutual emotional wounding. In Cherished Enemy, Roly is traveling incognito under the name of Roland Fairleigh. He 'befriends' Robert MacTavish (also going under an assumed name, Dr. Victor) in order to fathom the information MacTavish has of the cypher. He gets closer then ever this time but for Deborah Singleton recognizing him from the time she was pretending to be a maid in the Montgomery household. A brief struggle ensues the result of which lands Roly unconscious in a woodshed. Despite this, Roly's given word to Dimity prevents him from revealing the whereabout s of Robert and Rosamund when he does discover them and allows them to flee. Things come to a head in DV, where his word once again embroils him in the Jacobite scheme itself. Having finally discovered them, he has to protect them from the pursuing military at the same time discovering where they are hiding the treasure and trying to get closer to Miss Fiona Bradford with whom he eventually falls in love. In the end, his capture and torture at the hands of Lambert costs him his sight and his health. His regains his sight partially and the hand of his beloved Fiona. And best of all, his faithful steed Rump is safe and well!
  
• Excerpt: "C'est le guerre, Rump ... the trouble is, life is one long war."
  
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