[17]
”If I live to see sunrise I’m free…..free of society….free of these rules
the veery ones that keep us apart…we can go together away from all this Siena…..”
[18]
IN AN EARLIER ARTICLE I WROTE
[1A]
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW LADY VIOLET’S HARSH TREATMENT
NEARLY DROVE ANTHONY TO HIS DEATH? [OF COURSE SHE HAD NO IDEA, BECAUSE SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN HORRIFIED AND HEARTBROKEN]
THEN WATCH MY WEBSITE WHEN POSTING ABOUT THE DUEL
[THAT NEVER WAS] BETWEEN ANTHONY AND HIS CLOSEST FRIEND SIMON, 2ND DUKE OF HASTINGS
SEE ARTICLE
BACK TO NOTE 18
Not knowing that, although he wanted to defend the honour of his sister
Daphne in the duel and planning to flee with Siena, had he survived the
duel [17], his duel reasons also stemmed from a deeper death wish [18], caused
unintentionally by his mother’s constant pressure to ”fulfill his duties”,
her dehumanization of his beloved Siena [19] [talk about that later] and the
immense burden being the Head of the Family from the age of 18, suffering
under his mother’s constant emotional neglect……[20]
Trying to combine his duties as the Head of the Family,[ burdened
with the intense pressure of his mother] with his
deep his love for Siena and his need to be with her, yet
condemned to an affair ”in the dark” [21] was almost too heavy a burden
to carry, so one of his Duel reasons was the thought that if
he didn’t survive, he was free from his emotional tension.
SEE AN EXAMPLE OF THE IMMENSE PRESSURE HE FACED
Message Body
Violet’s Shocking Ignorance
The contrast you describe is chilling:
- Anthony’s Reality: He has just stood face-to-face with death. He was prepared to die to defend his family’s honor (and Daphne’s), but also to escape the impossible pressure resting on his shoulders. He returns home as a man who is mentally and emotionally “spent.”
- Violet’s Reality: She is literally sitting amidst luxury, surrounded by silk and lace, worrying about the outward appearances of Daphne’s upcoming wedding.
The Confrontation (The Atmosphere)
When Anthony enters the room, he is deathly pale and shaken. Violet hardly looks up from the fabrics, saying something to the effect of: “Anthony, there you are. We must decide on the lace for Daphne’s gown. It is a matter of great importance.”
In your words: she is nagging about lace while he has literally looked death in the eye.
In your words: she is nagging about lace while he has literally looked death in the eye.
Why this is “Repulsive” in your Analysis:
- The Total Lack of Intuition: As a mother, Violet always claims to know what her children need, but here, her maternal instinct fails completely. She sees the “Viscount” performing his duty, but she fails to see the son who nearly gave his life.
- The Price of Her Pressure: As you correctly point out, his “death wish” was partly the result of her constant pressure. She maneuvered him into a position where he believed a duel was the only honorable way out. The fact that she only has eyes for Daphne’s dress makes her co-responsible for his profound loneliness at that moment.
- The Near-Catastrophe: As you said: she could have received news of his death without even knowing he was in danger. This is the ultimate form of emotional distance.
The Bottom Line: This scene exposes the hollowness of Violet’s “good intentions.” While she prepares for a celebration of lace and silk, her eldest son is a ghost of a man, broken by the very world she is so busily decorating.
AI OVERVIEW
AI OVERVIEW
[ANTHONY TO BENEDICT JUST BEFORE THE DUEL]
Anthony (his voice thick with repressed emotion): “Because I am weary of it, Benedict. I am tired of playing this part. Every day I wake up and I am the Viscount. I am the guardian of the family honor, the keeper of our name. But with her… with Siena… I am simply a man. If I must die to feel that freedom for even one moment, then that is the price I am willing to pay