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No Name - Week 8
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As this novel goes on, my regard for and sympathy for Magdalen continues to decrease in about the same proportion that it increases for Wragge. Some explanation:- Magdalen repeatedly has sabotaged her own plans, initially by letting her emotions guide her to stupid decisions, such as with Mrs. Wragge, and currently due to her complete apathy toward life in general, resulting from Frank's breaking of their engagement.
- This whole endeavor would have fallen apart if Wragge hadn't taken Magdalen's goals and made them his own. It's Wragge's actions that have attracted my sympathy and support while Magdalen's actions lead to my dismay.
- As a result, in the last chapter, I found myself hoping that Magdalen could at least successfully pull off one thing - her suicide. I found myself wishing for an odd number of boats during Magdalen's "he loves me ...he loves me not" version of Russian roulette.
- Granted, I may have only felt this way knowing full well that Magdalen would not die, so I don't know if I really wanted it to happen.
- I do know that I enjoyed this book more when I had sympathy and respect for Magdalen so I do hope the story arc shifts to let me retrieve a bit of that attitude. In the meantime, I guess I'll let any enjoyment rest on my being a member of Team Wragge.
I'm totally Team Wragge as well. Magdalen's moping has quite gotten on my nerves and I was happy when Wragge told her right out that this marriage was all her idea in the first place! Does she want to go through with it or not. I much preferred the previous Magdalen with the go-get attitude and self control.And I admit that I'm getting a bit tired of the same story line at this point. I was hoping for some other characters to pop up again, but all we got was the same back and forth deception between the two households.
I admire the intent of this story but agree with both Brian and Linda about Magdalen. It would be more enjoyable at this point if the story diverged. Where is Norah?I do like the scheming and outwitting between Wragge and Mrs Lecount. But that seems to have come to a head now. I’m sticking with it and hoping for a surprise turn of events.
Mod
That's fine by me here, but I am catching up on week nine today myself! I think I liked week eight a lot more than the rest of you ! I found the sparring between Lecount and Wragge to be clever and downright hilarious!! Each of them really thought of every possible permutation of events. And the ridiculous Noel, honestly, I did not even think that Magdalene was being overdramatic, I actually give her credit for having enough principal to question a marriage for money! Obviously a marriage is not going to go through as we would expect so will be interesting to see how about unfolds. There was a reference to Kirk in this section, and I suspect that is where the answer lies.
That would be great if the week 9 thread could be opened up, thank you, Hugh. I've finished reading week 9, but then didn't want to continue beyond that until I have a chance to comment so as not to confuse myself later by reading ahead and forgetting which week is which.
Chapter summaries (beware spoilers):
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9. Mrs Lecount considers her options, and decides to show Noel that Miss Bygrave is the “Miss Garth” who visited them at Chelsea. She decides to visit the Bygraves’ house, and attempt to see Mrs Bygrave. Wragge posts the forged letter to Zurich. Magdalen asks Wragge to take her away from Aldborough for a couple of days. Wragge agrees and goes to see Noel. He tells Noel he can’t tell him where they are going, and says that Miss Bygrave sends her love. Mrs Lecount sees a carriage arrive at the Bygraves’. They depart, and Wragge locks the house. Mrs Lecount decides to try to talk to their servant. She finds her family’s address and calls. The servant tells her Mrs Bygrave is an idiot. Mrs Lecount decides the servant cannot help her and leaves. On the fourth day Noel gets a letter from Mr Bygrave saying they will return the next day. The carriage arrives the next afternoon. Wragge calls on Noel, and invites him to see some pictures he has been asked to sell. Noel calls and finds Miss Bygrave alone. After they have talked for half an hour Magdalen leaves and Wragge arrives. He tells Noel he should leave Aldborough before Mrs Lecount receives the letter from Zurich. He tells Noel to tell Mrs Lecount he has been trying to pass off worthless fakes as old masters. He says that next time they meet with Mrs Lecount Noel should not greet him. He should then tell Mrs Lecount he wants to leave Aldborough. Noel says she will suggest going to Admiral Bertram’s at St Crux in Essex, as they do this every autumn. Wragge asks Noel for the Bertrams’ address. Wragge tells Noel to go there on the tenth morning, before Mrs Lecount receives the letter, and wait for him there. He says he will pick Noel up and take him to London to obtain a marriage license, so they can marry before Mrs Lecount returns. He tells Noel not to visit in the meantime.
10. Noel tells Mrs Lecount about the pictures. The meeting with Wragge goes as planned. On the third day Noel makes a mistake, saying he will go to St Crux (a day earlier than Wragge’s plan). Noel does not visit the Bygraves, and Mrs Lecount keeps a close watch. On the fourth day Noel tells her he is undecided about St Crux. That evening he tells her he has had enough of Aldborough and asks her to stay behind and pack up. Noel arranges to take the coach, and Mrs Lecount watches him leave to check that none of the Bygraves are on it. She also watches their house to check that Mr Bygrave has not ordered a carriage. She relaxes, thinking she has nothing to fear. She vows to stay in Aldborough until she has seen Miss Bygrave’s wardrobe. The next day she sees Mr Bygrave go to the beach early. A few minutes later Magdalen goes out for a walk. Mrs Lecount goes at the house, finds it unlocked and goes upstairs, coming face to face with Mrs Wragge. She gives Mrs Wragge an elaborate apology. Mrs Wragge lets slip Magdalen’s name. She agrees to show Mrs Lecount Magdalen’s room. She takes out all of the dresses, but the brown dress is not there. She asks Mrs Wragge to check again, and they find the brown dress at the back. Mrs Wragge says the dress has reminded her of Vauxhall Walk and talks about the ghost. Mrs Lecount becomes concerned about leaving before Wragge returns. On her way out she sees him and knows she has been seen. She goes home and finds the letter from Zurich.
11. Mrs Lecount reads the letter, but does not suspect anything. She decides to go to Zurich. She secures a seat on the coach and writes to Noel. The letter says that the Bygraves are continuing the conspiracy they saw in London. Wragge questions his wife, who tell him she has seen Mrs Lecount and told her about the ghost. He sees Mrs Lecount depart on the coach. He then goes to the post office and manages to establish that she has sent a letter to Noel. He then goes to church to give notice of the licensed marriage. He talks to Magdalen, who seems dumbstruck. He persuades her that they have to continue the scheme.
12. Wragge travels to Essex, looking for St Crux. He finds the house, and tells the coachman to drive to the back door. He sees a man, asks after Noel and gives him his card. Noel appears, and Wragge tells him they will catch the next London train. He gives Noel some envelopes to give to the admiral to forward Noel’s mail. They travel to London and find a hotel. Noel tells Wragge that Miss Bygrave needs a maid. They go to obtain the marriage license. Wragge goes to see a friend who knows about the law, and returns to the hotel to find Noel interviewing ladies’ maids. All four of the candidates decline when he tells them the salary. Noel insists on staying another night to interview one more the next morning. On the Saturday Noel receives a letter from Mrs Lecount. The maid is engaged. Wragge is uneasy about Magdalen, who has been left alone in Aldborough.
13. In Aldborough, Mrs Lecount tells Magdalen about the visit from Mrs Lecount. Magdalen worries about the marriage. Mrs Wragge persuades her to go out for a walk. Mrs Wragge sleeps, and when she wakes Magdalen refuses to talk. She thinks about what might happen, goes out and considers her options. On her return she goes to her room and starts writing a letter to Norah, and falls asleep. Mrs Wragge comes to see her the next morning, and Magdalen says she has toothache. She goes out and talks to a child with a toy ship, who tells her it is uncle Kirke’s ship, and mentions China. She starts a letter to Wragge saying her resolve has failed and she is leaving Aldborough, and that his money is enclosed. She finds the note she copied from her father’s letter saying that she and Norah are nobody’s children. She tears up the letter to Wragge, and takes Mrs Wragge out for a drive. On returning, she complains of toothache again, goes to a chemist’s and asks for laudanum, The chemist gives her a bottle marked “poison”. Mrs Wragge tells her she is worried that her husband has not written. Magdalen locks the laudanum bottle in a cupboard. She reads a newspaper story about a murder, which preys on her mind. She continues her letter to Norah and hears wheels. She calls to Wragge, who says that the marriage is a certainty. She finishes the letter and puts banknotes in a paper addressed to Wragge. Late at night. she looks at the bottle and drops it, then picks it up and opens it. She looks out to sea and seas boats. She decides to count them, and if the number is uneven choose death. She eventually counts 8 boats and decides that fate is with her. Next morning Wragge asks the new maid to look in on her, and she reports that she looks beautiful and is sleeping like a child.
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