2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #1 discussion

One of the suspects was Lawrence McKay, the furniture store owner who Ashworth refused to pay. Did it surprise you that merchants had no legal recourse if a member of the aristocracy cheated them? Though he was an obvious suspect, did you think it could be him?

Yes, really surprised!
I didn't think it was McKay only because I imagine Ashworth isn't the only person who's failed to pay him over the years...and he couldn't get away with knocking off everyone who stiffed him.

I couldn’t imagine that Ashworth could just decide not to pay and get away with it. And everyone knew it.

I never suspected McKay simply because he was too obvious. Now, his daughter was a separate matter. She stayed on my list until the reveal.

I did know about the inability to collect debts from the aristocracy, although I cannot imagine how that came to be.

I did not suspect McKay; if he were going to do away with Ashworth, I don't think he would have drawn attention to himself beforehand.

His daughter was on my radar, but not a serious candidate for murderer.

She wasn’t a serious candidate for me either, just on my radar in case more incriminating clues showed up.

I wasn't too surprised. After all, sometimes they got away with murder. However, I would've thought that others would look down on them for their actions.

I didn't think the daughter was capable of murder, but I wouldn't have put it past her to do something to him.

I was surprised to learn that the aristocracy could get away without paying merchants for their labor or goods. Like Joanna, though, I would've expected it to draw censure from his social peers as it besmirches the whole "my word as a gentleman" notion. It's just another example of how the wealthy could get away with all sort of abuses. I'm still amazed that the French peasantry's resort to revolution and the lopping off of aristocratic heads never crossed the Channel.

Oh, the English were very worried that it would!

It makes me angry, but some of that still goes on today. My mother worked collections for a major bank for years. It surprised me when some wealthy person was on a commercial, and she'd tell me they were in collections for a large amount, but still getting a loan to buy a multi-million dollar house. The banks didn't want to lose their savings/investment money.

Also, if you look at physicians, hospitals give them "professional courtesy" so they don't have any doctor or hospital bill, when they can easily afford to pay. Yet, the average joe is hounded to death by collections.

That McKay had no recourse at all is appalling. My solution would be to round up some friends and some wagons and reposes the furniture.

I didn't think it was him. A dead Ash means he never gets paid. Like Jonetta, I wondered about the daughter.