Victorians! discussion

You forget what wonders my wickedness has done for me. It has made Nobody's Child Somebody's Wife.

I finished this section and can't help but think (again) how much communication was done through the writing of letters.

Things do seem to be closing around Magdelen and I hope she will come out of this with herself in tact, although there seems to be an element of madness going about.

THere does. And I'm not sure what to think. Lecount frightens me. Noel frightens me just because he's so maliable in Mrs. Lecount's hands. I think he really does love Magdalen, and I think if she'd kind of put aside her madness, her obsession with getting the money back (which she can't do until he dies) then she might find she's not as miserable as she thinks he is. He is trying to be happy and make her happy. I really do feel sorry for him now. but I feel more sorry for Nora, because if someone doesn't come in and fix this mess, Magdalen is going to screw things up for her sister again.

I know...somehow even though I would like this whole saga to end happily, I honestly can't see how it will.

I have to hand it to Collins, he keeps the reader going through all the pages of his books.

Wow, having just finished this, I'm wondering if Magdalene is saveable. What now? And I can't decide if Noel's will, as it benefits Mr. Bartram, will help Magdalen, or even Norah, or if it will make things all the more difficult. Yikes. I'm beginning to truly worry for poor Nora.

I have a guess about Norah. (view spoiler)[ I think she will marry George who will inherit the fortune since he will comply with the tenets of the will. All will be back to normal as the fortune will be returned to the girls through this marriage and Mrs. L will be foiled again! (hide spoiler)] Pretty farfetched I know!

No.... That's sort of what I'm thinking, too. He seems far more fair minded than his cousin. I like that theory. And I'm rooting for it. But I'm hoping Magdalen can somehow recover herself. I'm hoping.

OK, so maybe I can see how she can redeem herself. I only hope she doesn't screw things up for Nora. I know I've already said that, but it's a growing concern.

Marialyce wrote: "I have a guess about Norah. [spoilers removed] Pretty farfetched I know!"

I have had the same line of thought in regards to Nora. I think that would be quite an ironic end for things, it would be a slap in the face of Mrs. Lacount and make her own plan backfire upon her.

In regards to Magdalen, I cannot help but to wonder just what her original plan was, supposing things had in fact worked smoothly. Just to lie low married to Noel, while waiting for him to die, and than return back to her sister with the money? Or did she not really think that far ahead?

She must have had a plan, but even now, after finishing it, it's not clear in my mind what that plan was. He was sickly. She knew that. She could have been waiting for him to die. He told Mrs. Lecount he thought she was fond of him, so she couldn't have treated him poorly. He said they 'lived together as man and wife' in Scotland. The phrasing there is specific for a reason. It means the marriage was consummated and refers to Scottish law which made considerations for 'irregular marriages'. It didn't necessarily have to have been before a clergyman or even by license or banns to be considered valid. Unlike England. So...he evidently had no clue she despised him. But perhaps it was enough for her just to be reunited with the money. I have to wonder what would have happened if Lecount had returned to find Magdalen at home. Would the outcome have been the same? Would Magdalen have defended herself? Would she have confessed? She said at one time that it was her intention to undeceive him. that all she wanted was his having been deceived. Unless I remember wrong. But that wasn't what happened. I always thought that her telling him would mean his end. If she was not to distress him, then certainly telling him would have done that.

I wonder if there's something more I'm missing.

V.r. wrote: "She must have had a plan, but even now, after finishing it, it's not clear in my mind what that plan was. He was sickly. She knew that. She could have been waiting for him to die. He told Mrs. Leco..."

Though he did seem to be rather unhappy in his marriage at this point, and it seemed to indicate that she treated him with little regard. Perhaps not openly despising him nor being particularly cruel, but the picture painted of their marriage did seem to be a rather bleak one. At the very least it seemed that she had begun to by degrees to give up her act and did not seem as if she was making much of an effort to pretend that she was happy with him.