Nicola's feelings for Patrick

[nickwhit.livejournal.com]

Picking up on a comment in an earlier post that Nicola only regarded Patrick as a friend, I rather thought it evolved into more than that - certainly by RAH when Nicola wants to look special at the Merricks' New Year party; and is delighted when Patrick asks her to dance with him 'practically continuously'. And even at the end of RMF, I took the last page about Nicola understanding Persuasion far more than Ginty knew to refer to her feelings for Patrick. (But it's a long time since I read Persuasion.) Whaddya think?

Comments

Re: Patrick, Nicola, etc.

[antfan.livejournal.com]

Surely the whole thrust of the series is an oh-so-gradual but natural process of bringing Nicola and Patrick together?

No, no, no. It maybe looks that way because the series ends with Run Away Home, but that wasn't planned, it's just where it happened to stop. Run Away Home marks a real falling off in the series anyway - can't help suspecting that's why she didn't write any more.

I hold to Jan Scott's comment that lifelong friendships are about as common as unicorns...and by the same token, people are unlikely to end up with the boy-next-door they fancied at fourteen.

Re: Patrick, Nicola, etc.

[jackmerlin.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. I've never seen Patrick and Nicola properly together even as teenagers, never mind as adults.

Re: Patrick, Nicola, etc.

[coughingbear]

Also, Patrick doesn't arrive in the series until Falconer's Lure (and isn't really a Roman Catholic until End of Term.) I don't think there is a 'whole thrust' to the series. Though I disagree that RAH is a terrible falling off; it's not a favourite of mine, but rather like Thuggery Affair there are scenes I'd not be without.

Re: Patrick, Nicola, etc.

[(Anonymous)]

I can conjoin with the feeling that The Thuggery Affair has much to offer; as well as Run Away Home. But the issue of the 'thrust' to the series (however you term it; as well as the alternative, that there may be none) is a major point. We know from now-stated record that AF envisaged NO series as such, until the publishers asked her for a sequel, and batted down her notion of a horse book. That is exactly when a falconry theme, combined with horses, entered, with Falconer's Lure. And so entered Patrick as a theme. This new departure therefore by definition created a series. It was based, by stated biographical detail, on AF's own holidays with falconing boys. I don't like or want to obtrude biographicals; except that most readers' likes and dislikes in the Trennels discussions focus on exactly where Patrick and religion impinge: a sore spot ever ready to erupt. Finally, one has to be ready to allow that adolescence is the juncture where he soreness of this type erupts for writers of juvenile cast. K.M. Peyton managed it adnirably with her 'Pennington' series - putting relationships in the context of responsiblity between members of a couple, and parenthood, and all hail to her - but it is all too easy for this to be a 'King Charles' head', in the sense of an insuperable obstacle. How AF would have coped, one can only wonder - rigmarole

Re: Patrick, Nicola, etc.

[(Anonymous)]

I can conjoin with the feeling that The Thuggery Affair has much to offer; as well as Run Away Home. But the issue of the 'thrust' to the series (however you term it; as well as the alternative, that there may be none) is a major point. We know from now-stated record that AF envisaged NO series as such, until the publishers asked her for a sequel, and batted down a notion of a horse book. That is exactly when a falconry theme, combined with horses, entered: with Falconer's Lure. And so entered Patrick as a theme. This new departure by definition therefore created a series, involving him. By stated biographical detail, it was based on AF's own holidays with falconing boys. I don't like or want to obtrude biographicals; except that many readers' likes and dislikes in the Trennels discussions spill over exactly where Patrick and religion impinge: an ever-present sore spot. One has to allow that adolescence is the juncture where the soreness of this type erupts for writers of juvenile cast. K.M. Peyton managed it admirably (can one say faultlessy?) with her 'Pennington' series - putting relationships in the context of responsiblity between members of a couple, and parenthood; and all hail to her - but it is all too easy for this to be a 'King Charles' head', in the sense of an insuperable obstacle. How AF would have coped with sorting out Patrick, once she had lumbered herself with him, one can only wonder in amazement - rigmarole