Paris, 1794. The French Revolution has reached its bloody climax and “Madame Guillotine” is in full force. The beautiful actress, Marguerite St Just, marries the dashing Sir Percy Blakeney after a whirlwind romance and travels with him to England. However, their wedding night is interrupted by news of Marguerite’s indirect involvement in the execution of Blakeney’s friend, the Marquis de St. Cyr. Fearing that his new wife might be a French spy, Percy resolves to rescue as many innocent men and women from the guillotine as he can. Disguising himself as the heroic Scarlet Pimpernel and recruiting a select group of friends to assist him, Percy travels to and from France, carrying out increasingly daring rescue missions. Meanwhile Chauvelin, a prominent member of the Revolutionaries, is determined to catch and unmask the elusive Pimpernel. He blackmails Marguerite (who is his former lover) and uses her and her brother, Armand, as bait. His plan reaches a climactic showdown as Chauvelin and Percy finally come face to face in the ultimate sword fight. Despite facing his death at the hands of “Madame Guillotine”, Percy manages to outwit Chauvelin one final time.
The Scarlet Pimpernel guide sections
