That's a really interesting portrayal of Alex. You haven't really seen much of him, so it's hard to evaluate whether or not he's evil. But if he is, that's a good way for him to show us.
Every once in a while, you and I clash on characters. I actually expected you to say something, because of all the characters in this latest chapter, the only one who's really acting completely out of character is Wade. I've only shown you what others see and hear about Wade, not what Wade thinks himself. Regardless, the fact that Wade is acting strangely should tell you about the kind of inner turmoil he's dealing with.
Thanks Maarten. I think that Wade was pretty upset about the whole talk with Matt, so that just fueled his need to escape. Wade probably didn't have the emotional strength to stick around. Plus he was anxious to get back to England, and back to Alex.
You have such an optimistic outlook; it's so wonderful. Unfortunately, I would probably be miserable. I would look around at this City of Romance, feel the love in the air from the people all around me, yet I would be all alone.
July 27, 2002
Paris
Matt
“Welcome to Paris,” JP said to Wade, and gave him a perfunctory hug. “If you will excuse me, I have some things I must work on.” We watched him walk into his study, and then our eyes reconnected.
I walked up to him and held out my hands, and he held them with his, even as he cringed. For some reason, me holding his hands seemed to really freak him out. “It’s good to see you,” I said.
He smiled uncomfo
Good points, all of them. I think that the Duke gave Granger excellent advice. The only real problem I would see is that he has to rely on some other people to make it work.
I think Caroline's side of the story will be very interesting...when we eventually get to hear it.
George and his father both understand the importance of family, and that gives them common interests. And I have to believe that there isn't much the Duke wouldn't do for his youngest son, considering how influential he presumably was in advancing his father from an earl to a duke.
It's almost hard to speculate as to what was going through Caroline's mind. I'd have to believe that part of that comes from being successful in her own right, and subconsciously resenting George's influence. I think of the men who become powerful and rich, and then decide they deserve a mistress. Because they can.
Thanks! It's really hard to know what to think about Cavendish, since we haven't heard from him. Yet. He can either continue to avoid George, he can meet with George and to a mea culpa, or he can basically tell George to go fuck himself.
That's a good point, but what the Duke is advocating is the creation of plausible deniability. That way, when the rumors do erupt, and people are tempted to believe the worst, George and his PR machine can help make sure those rumors are dismissed.
I think that even someone as level headed as George needs that person, like his father, who can step back from the situation just enough to provide some rational advice.
September 24, 1799
Cowes, England
Granger usually woke up at dawn, even when he was ashore, and today was no different. It had become an ingrained part of him, an almost inevitable result of his years in the Navy, where every day was greeted with the ship at quarters. He looked at Treadway, who lay sleeping next to him, and smiled. He was lying on his stomach, exposing his incredibly sexy ass. Granger ran his hand down his crack and brushed it across his hole, eliciting a
Thank you for getting that dynamic, that in a series that switches points of view, you're always getting a slightly (SMILE) biased view of things. None of these guys are perfect.
I think giving up on someone you love, or even worse, having them give up on you, is one of the hardest things to do. I'm glad you were able to work through your own situation.
Thanks for the review, Leon.
It's got to be hard for a guy like Matt to take a massive ego blow like that, but you're right. Matt has a good setup in Chicago, and actually Wade has a good setup in Boston too.
Yeah, I was trying to get back onto my schedule, where I post a chapter every four days, and for some reason, I like to post on even days. A superstition. So you all got an early chapter.
Thanks for the review. It's fun to write JP in when he's being a sage, but not as fun as Stef can be. :-)
Thanks Maarten!
I agree that their common aristocratic background helped Wade and Alex become tight very quickly. It's not so hard to fathom, if you think about how we all tend to migrate toward people who share our common interests.
Matt is currently a great person. He hasn't always been great in the past, and there's no guarantee he'll be great in the future. ;-)