Orkney, Scottland is mentioned for the first time in The Flight of Gemma Hardy when we learn that Mrs. Marsden grew up there (Livesey 13). According to Scotland Info Travelguide, Orkney is an island in northern Scotland that consists of much smaller islands (SIT). The islands are separated regarding proximity to the largest island which is known as "the Mainland" while other islands, though have names, are mainly associated with being North or South of the Mainland (SIT). Ockney is an island with deep, rich history dating back to the Vikings in 3500 BC.

The Madeleine Cemetery was one of four cemeteries in Paris used to get rid of carcasses during the French Revolution. It was notable for housing the bulk of the dead from the September Massacres of 1792 and the decapitated corpse of Charlotte Corday, the Girondin assassin of Jean-Paul Marat. Guillotine victims of the era were housed in the trenches of the Madeleine Cemetery and Corday was no exception.