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| Pearl of Great Price by Lindelea | 2 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Lyta Padfoot | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 12/28/2003 |
| Yeah for Hally and Rosemary! I do wonder what Lalia did to get her son to push for the marriage to Rosemary. Can't wait to see the plan in action; it and the fall out should prove most interesting. Author Reply: Lalia's promise to her son will come out in a future chapter. Thanks for reviewing! | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 12/27/2003 |
| There sure is a lot going on in this chapter! First, Ferdi is coming back to himself, even after another shock of seeing the yule log lit. It seems that the stakes are high enough: his need to respond to the threat to Rosemary's welfare has broken through his misery. When there's something important enough to say, he says it. Secondly, Lalia! She's very cunning, and she has probably been waiting for the perfect situation to present itself for a while. Ferdinand can't refuse, but it only appears that Rosemary has nobody to protect her. Here we see that there are plenty who are willing to defy the Mistress - she never counted on that. The interesting sentence to me is, "She was willing to risk scandal and gossip to get her way, but then what else is new?" That seemed to be the weak point in her plan. Marrying off a girl under her protection to her son, old enough to be her grandfather, is scandalous. The Talk would run wild, but the gentry of the Smials are used to the idea of arranged marriages, as well as they are used to the overbearing ways of the Mistress: would there be enough outrage generated within the upper classes to derail the plan? The servant classes would probably feel more powerless and afraid than outraged. The surprise nature of the announcement and relatively short amount of time before the wedding also acts in her favor. So the plan of Bittersweet, Viola and the Bolgers is very daring. They have next to no time to act. For Viola and Bittersweet, they are risking exile if their part is discovered. And though the Bolgers have their land free and clear, I am sure that Lalia will find some way to retaliate. You leave the chapter in a very exciting spot - I can't wait to see exactly how they'll pull it off and who else will be involved. Author Reply: First, just as Bittersweet predicted, when it was important, Ferdi found his voice. Second, Lalia, indeed! I think if she could set the wedding for First Day, she would. As it is, she'll have it set as soon as possible, if nothing interferes. Dressing Rosemary as an adult is part of the softening-up process. Viola and Bittersweet must be very careful, arranging so that they can answer honestly when questioned, as you'll see in soon-to-come chapters. This is the trickiest part of the story, trying to make all this come out plausibly. Let me know if anything rings false, please? | |