The Ending

[Renee]

I don't know why, but I feel like I missed something in the ending of "An Inconvenient Wife."

I understand that Victor and Lucy planned together to murder William and that they went away to London together, where Lucy planned to leave Victor someday. But I don't know . . . I feel like something's off. Am I the only one that felt this way? Is there something I've missed?

And did anyone else feel terribly sorry for William? He was too focused on being popular, that's true, and he did a lot of stupid things trying to help Lucy with her "madness", but that's really only because that's what society taught him was right. He wasn't really any different from any other man in New York. He certainly didn't deserve to die. And it seemed like in the end, Lucy was admitting to a madness she'd never really had by murdering him. Certainly she could have found another way to be free and escape her oppressive life? She didn't have to murder him.

[Cortney]

I was torn with my feelings toward William. He had planned from a young age to do anything it took to marry the rich debutante and get into high society and he actually went through with it. When he got the rich wife he couldn't let go, even for her sanity or their marriage, of the image of how he thought the upper class were supposed to act.

on the other hand, he treated her kindly and I think he sent her to the doctors because he honestly wanted to help her. He didn't kill her when he found her cheating, which I know some people would do. But was this because he loved her and wanted to help her, or because he still wouldn't risk his reputation by someone finding out the truth about Lucy's affair?

I also felt there was something a little off about the end. Maybe because I thought she should have gone to London without Victor, but at the same time it makes me want to read a sequel to see how she gets rid of him.

[Maureen]

I really loved this book too! I also wonder about William and how messed up he must have been to change his name, not talk to his family...etc...just to marry Lucy. His love was like a cage to her and it wasn't real love...he was cold...especially when it came to the sex they had, it sounded truly awful. I was so happy when Lucy broke free and became her own person. I found the ending strange and a little weak, when they were on the boat...and the line when she says she'll cut her ties to Victor when she feels like it..I guess showed her strength and new found independence. Is there really going to be a sequel? Does anyone have recommendations of books like this one. I love reading books from this period.