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Monday, April 20, 0:15:57

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• Hi, Oleander. I'll respond to your question about John marrying Isobel.Since Lord John is so in love with James, and has the awareness that Willie is James' son, I believe he marries Isobel in order to protect and care for Willie, and probably establish a conscious or subconscious way of being connected to James. (NT) -- teddie, 06:03:50 09/04/07 Tue
  

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• Re: Geneva...Lord John has always been very close to the Dunsany family, mostly because of their son Gordon, who died at Culloden..so it was with great sympathy that John comes to Helwater for Geneva's funeral. I've never had the feeling that he was seriously attached to Geneva, but he was to the Dunsany family, who I am sure kept him apprised of Geneva's excellence as a horsewoman, fiery personality, etc. (NT) -- teddie (), 06:15:22 09/04/07 Tue
  

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• I think Lord John explained his reasoning pretty well in Voyager when he told Claire the story of the time he'd informed Jamie he was going to marry Isobel. (Page 931 in the paperback). Not just for Willie's sake but to help out Dunsany who was growing too old to run the estate. John didn't feel the two women could do it alone. He argued that there was a lot more to marriage than "carnal love". He did have affectionate feelings for Isobel and her family, they were well suited for each other socially, he had "proved his capacity" to make her an adequate husband. I thought it was pretty obvious that she worshiped him and would have been pleased to be his wife in any case. Of course, looking out for Willie and establishing a permanent link with Jamie might have been his true goal, but I don't think he hadn't thought through the moral and emotional obligations he'd have as Isobel's husband. (NT) -- Jane, 06:16:59 09/04/07 Tue
  • Yes, Jane, I agree. John is a gentleman and a decent person and provided an excellent way to help the Dunsany family (and himself, somewhere deep down) by marrying Isobel. (NT) -- teddie (), 06:21:02 09/04/07 Tue
  • But do you not think Isobeal was "cheated" by having just an "adequate" husband. What IS "adequate"? Of course, I am interjecting my own feelings into this. We all do - based on our own experiences. An "adequate" husband would not be enough for me. (NT) -- GwenM, 08:58:50 09/04/07 Tue
    • I don't think Isobel was cheated at all. Most marriages of the time were of convenience and business; not so frequently for love. Isobel made what would be considered a prudent match with Lord John, and Geneva's marriage to Ellesmere--definitely not for love, either. (NT) -- teddie, 09:35:48 09/04/07 Tue
      • John was at least handsome and not SO much older than she was. I had the feeling that Isobel was in awe of him, perhaps even had a bit of a girlish crush. After all what would she know of sex? Women back then weren't expecting to enjoy it, pretty thought of it as "just doing their duty". The fact that he was sincere and thoughtful and above all a gentleman made her a very lucky woman indeed. Back then an adoring partner was a very rare thing. (NT) -- Jane, 15:34:33 09/04/07 Tue
        • You know...I'm not sure_I_ wouldn't take him, knowing what he is! I think he's wonderful, really. (NT) -- Conmama, 09:43:20 09/05/07 Wed
          • LMAO! I agree! I have a crush on him, regardless....sigh. (NT) -- Oleander, 14:48:34 09/05/07 Wed
    • Yes, I think Isobel was cheated ONLY if she went into the marriage unaware. Every decent person deserves a partner that adores them in all aspects. (NT) -- Conmama, 09:37:06 09/04/07 Tue
    • Isobel was 15 when Jamie came to Helwater - so, at her marriage to John she was 21 or so. Why wasn't she already married?? 21 is sort of old for those days. (NT) -- GwenM, 10:15:25 09/04/07 Tue
    • Oh, Gwen, Lord John has money, a good position and he surely wouldn't beat her. That's the definition of a good husband, no? (NT) -- Carol P, 10:34:13 09/06/07 Thu
      • Weeeel - maybe for those 18th century English women. Certainly not for us 21st century American women. (NT) -- GwenM, 04:50:34 09/07/07 Fri
  
  

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• regarding geneva, i think above people have explained it well but also i think when someone passes away you are more aware of them and thinking back to what you remember most passionately about them in their life. probably when she was alive he thought of her as 'part of the dunsany family' and she was there in the back of his mind but then when she dies it is brought more to the forefront (NT) -- oorjanie, 07:29:19 09/04/07 Tue
  • thanks for the responses ladies! I think I was on pretty much the same page re: Isobel- I just would love to read how it all transpired...LOL I am impatient, I love LGJ, I want to know it all! As far as Geneva goes, I guess I just got different impressions from the two books- regardless, it is what it is, as herself wishes it to be! (NT) -- Oleander, 18:49:09 09/04/07 Tue