Mrs. Milligan, a wealthy English widow living in France, crosses paths with the protagonist following Vitalis’s mishap, offering him temporary shelter. Her world centers on Arthur, her paralyzed son, and the haunting void left by her firstborn, stolen as an infant in England and believed trafficked to France.

Born into aristocracy, she faced familial betrayal after her husband’s death: her brother-in-law, James Milligan, schemed to seize their inheritance through English male-preference laws, prompting her newborn daughter’s abduction to eliminate her claim. Decades later, a “Madonna and Child” pendant—mirroring her own—exposes the protagonist as her lost child, igniting a pursuit alongside her loyal maid Nelly and lawyer Mr. Blair.

Compassionate yet tenacious, she confronts threats like Gaspard’s ransom-driven kidnapping, reclaiming her child against adversity. Her maternal resolve extends to sheltering the protagonist’s abused companions, granting them refuge from Gaspard’s cruelty.

Her journey culminates in restoring fractured bonds and forging stability for her newfound family. Balancing aristocratic responsibility with heartfelt empathy, she mends past wounds through unwavering protection and justice for those she cherishes.