Mankind, as Heinlein put it, is not so much a rational animal as a rationalising animal. It is very easy to decide you want to do something, then come up with a rationalisation you can use to justify it to yourself. This rationalisation may seem utterly absurd, or worse, to someone else, but it’s hard to see that when you’re trapped inside your own head. You may be so lonely, so desperate for human contact, that you won’t realise that you’re crossing the line before it’s too late. And once you cross the line, because you believe you have no choice, it will be easy to do it again and again. And that’s how you get into real trouble.
Lucy has two major personality aspects that work against her. First, she believes herself committed to taking control of her family and rebuilding its fortunes. She is incapable of walking away and abandoning the once-great family. Second, she is a thrill-seeker in the truest possible sense. She isn’t a bad person, not like Malachi, but she wants - she needs - the thrill of risking everything. The danger of getting caught, and possibly facing consequences that will destroy her, is part of the fun. One may argue that this is a very stupid, dangerous and immature attitude, but it’s very common. And, of course, it makes her vulnerable to someone with darker intentions. On the other hand, of course, she’s smart enough to realise she’s messed up and do whatever she has to do to correct matters.
Malachi, on the other hand, is very different. He started his life as a contemptible social climber, befriending well-born students and oozing his way into their lives. He was a master at spotting how best to appeal to them, posing as a sycophant to Carioca Rubén and then pretending to be a wise old uncle to Akin, Isabella and Francis, all the while trying to gain influence. He was the one who slipped a dark book to Isabella; he was the one who primed Francis to challenge Akin, on the grounds that Francis would be easier to influence. And, when he was kicked out of the family, he started blackmailing his way through aristocratic society instead. He’s so twisted, so wrapped up in himself, that he’s beyond redemption. Even his help comes with a stab in the back.
This series continues to interest me, at least in part, because I can write a series of different viewpoint characters while inserting characters from other books into the mix. Malachi himself started life in The Family Pride and made an appearance in The King’s Man, which is when the blackmail aspect of the plot came into focus. I intend to write one more Akin/Isabella story, provisionally entitled The Family Name, and then go on to write the next big trilogy. By then, there should be more than enough characters to pop up everywhere.
And now you’ve read this far, I have a request to make.
It’s growing harder to make a living through self-published writing these days. If you liked this book, please leave a review where you found it, share the link, let your friends know (etc, etc). Every little helps (particularly reviews).
Thank you.
Christopher G. Nuttall
Edinburgh, 2020
The Lady Heiress (The Zero Enigma Book 8) Page 39
