Status Updates From Not That Duke (Would-Be Wal...

Notes on the narrative

From her photo Eloisa James is a tiny smiling author. She freely admits this is autobiographical. We embrace her for that

And the income crashing down with it well worn boy babe to be followed by a girl babe. But this instance it was not so egregious

The end

I have to hand it to Eloisa James. Her research that brought her to a cog wheel that revolutionized British built locomotives was epic.

To sum up the entirety

“You left me in a strange world. “

And no the epilogue

Kudos, I must admit, she handled the retreat and the advance with tree climbing and the cat pissing in the boot. That reminded that I gave away a rescue cat and it pissed in the new shoes of the husband, when it came back I never let it go, it died at 20.

Yes Stella you really had to stop feeling so sorry for yourself
I would like to sleep alone tonight…

Finally. Sylvester finds his groove that he has to convince Stella she was first choice then and always, in whatever life. The book is 98% finished, and I take the author to task.
Sylvester as blockhead got too old, to stale, and frankly, boring.

Poor Stella, she lost her groove in the entertainment that Harold had gathered. Sylvester sat beside Yasmin, of no particular emotion. But to Stella, it was crushing. So Blanche improvised a trio of a French song dedicated to lovers.

Finally, Stella: “I am worth loving. “

Sylvester sees Yasmin, and is unmoved. We are nearly done with the book and to convince Stella she was never a second choice remains to the plot

News of Yasmin and Giles moves Sylvester not a wit . Rumors of her carrying a child remind him of his own duty to create an heir.

1816, a pivotal fashion moment that James attributes to Stella, waist lines across London promptly dropped a hand breath

Performing for the queen, she mentions spectacles as little circles of wire

“You can build on lust. “The Dowager was saying. That seemed to be the end of her marital advice.

Stella is being knocked between two trees, insupportable difference.

“… that foolish twit he was in love with. She would have ruined him… Without a sensible thought between them. “
A searing pain went through Stella‘s heart at the mention of Sylvester‘s love for Yasmin.

Lust but not love

Dowager Duchess: who cares if a sheet has a hole or two?
Stella cared.

I I’m with the Dowager.

They are at Quimby‘s Emporium Purveyors to Drury Lane Theater & More.
Stella wants her wardrobe to make her feel brave, but she cannot say to make her feel pretty.
No inhibitions whatsoever to love making, total dismissal of the worth of her person in her body.

Another trope that hits Home

He could not love her romantically, and she would accept nothing less.
All tropes out in the open

Jasmine. The jasmine pedals blowing around the walls.

Remorse tour through Sylvester’s chest. Of course she didn’t want to be reminded of his idiocy.

First blow, Stella has not to this point said a word

Exit, pursued by a bear.

Shakespeare, the winters tale. Act three scene three.

The bedroom that Stella wishes has not been touched since Queen Elizabeth, including the mattress. They are moving to the Dower house.
It was the authors intention that the reader ache for Stella, her thinking of being second best, second choice. But if she solves this issue in the last few pages I will be disappointed

Eloise James here insert poignancy of the ghost of Yasmin that hits so hard, we feel stilled by the deep separation that Stella imposes upon herself. She cannot sleep in a room with Jasmine petals. So she denies herself sleeping with Sylvester

Touring the Grange, endless rooms, endless decay endless forgotten. They come to the bedroom that his parents shared, it had been entirely redecorated. Stella ‘s mind balked.
Redecorated for Yasmin. Yasmin Yasmin Yasmin. A thread in her mind unbroken

He looked as if there was no civilization in him.

That is Daryl Hall and John Oates but the song is I can’t go for that, so just take away the can’t and substitute can which is how I listened to it