Part Three: Chapter 13 - 15

[Marie]

Year 1371.

[Marie]

PLEASE USE SPOILER TAGS WHEN DISCUSSING A PLOT EVENT

[Marie]

So many things happened here! I love how Hawise comes into play for a small bit & the other characters really help blend the story beautifully. Where I read comments about some of the "believability" factor, I never seem to notice those until someone points it out. For me, it's more about the entertainment thing, & of learning a new small piece of history. (view spoiler)[
But the Nirac thing totally has me enthralled! Did that REALLY happen?!? (hide spoiler)]

[Marie]

Page 222
Chapter 15
And pbbbbbtttt (view spoiler)[being kidnapped by the Duke after saying No, my Lord.. & then schwing she is blissfully happy after cantering along a bit. I did get a little perturbed at that change of opinion if Katherine's.
And perhaps this obsessive love IS a tad overbearing..


(hide spoiler)]

[C.P.]

This is where the romance plot really picks up steam. A woman's "no" doesn't mean "no" when said to Mr Right (rolls eyes).

I read it. I enjoyed it. I'm perfectly happy to read a good historical romance once in a while—and this is a great one. So the conventions didn't annoy me so much as amuse me. I did notice them, though.

My bigger concern was with Nirac. (view spoiler)[Did it not occur to him that people might suspect that Hugh's sudden death was murder, and that if they did, they would fix on Katherine as the most likely killer? That would have thrown quite a spanner in the works, wouldn't it? (hide spoiler)]

[Marie]

Absolutely correct with that observation in the spoiler! It is SOOO obvious that you gotta laugh.

[MaryKatherine]

Ah yes, Nirac's (view spoiler)[ murder of Hugh immediately brought to mind Robert Dudley and his wife's (Amy Robsart) suspicious death. It was a sudden, unexpected death and a few people around the Duke already knew of his preoccupation with Katherine. I mean, come on Nirac! (hide spoiler)]

[Diane Lynn]

End of chapter 14

At first, I thought Nirac (view spoiler)[was being foolish poisoning Hugh and that Katherine would be the first suspect. But then Brother William announced that these things happen, Hugh must have had a bad spot in the bowel. Being the Duke's special physician, I think his opinion would carry weight. I was concerned Ellis might grow suspicious and start airing his concerns, fortunately, he was drunk a lot of the time. Plus we knew from that foreshadowing back in chapter 9, that Nirac would get his revenge on Hugh. Hugh had accused Katherine of "whoredom with the Gascon," plus he had struck Nirac and tossed him off the manor. I think when Nirac saw that Hugh stood in the Duke's way of happiness, he didn't consider the consequences, all he saw was his opportunity to strike back at someone he didn't like. (hide spoiler)]

[M]

I was touched that Hugh, who I don't like at all, was truly interested in hearing how Blachette was doing. A little version of Katherine who may actually like him?

I must confess I am not liking Katherine as much as I liked Dragonwyck.

(view spoiler)[I guess I'm not buying the romance part of the book. I'm okay with Katherine's inaction after Hugh's death, but her attitude after being carried off by the Duke is a bit much. (hide spoiler)]