A Grandmother Is
A grandmother is many things. To find out exactly what, just head into the nearest greeting card shop is still standing. Lady Danbury is Gareth’s grandmother and she is many things, including those within the metaphorical realm:
“Lady Danbury was a number of things to him—trial, termagant, and bane of his existence sprang to mind—but never a duty.”
The Truth Comes Out
The opening lines of the novel outline the four governing principles which rule their relationship. At least three of these are broken when the long-simmering tension between them finally and unexpectedly hits the boiling point:
“And then his father, who was the master of the cutting retort, whose anger always came dressed in ice rather than fire, exploded. His hands flew from the table, and his voice roared through the room like a demon.”
Favorite Metaphor
Every writer has a couple of favorite go-to metaphors or similes that pop up regularly in their writing. Important to remember is that novels are written over an extended period of time and it is infinitely easy to forget you’ve already gone to the well a couple of times within a single book, much less over the course of a series. Binge reading might have the effect of bringing it to attention, but even that is unlikely. It takes the concentrated power of close scrutiny to figure out that one of the go-to similes in the author’s arsenal of metaphors is one which show up several times in several of the Bridgerton books, including this entry:
“It was like a punch to the gut. He’d hurt her.”
The Wisdom According to Lady D.
Lady Danbury is a fount of advice. Some of it is even instituted in the foundation of knowledge. Much of it is, alas, empty proverbial philosophy where metaphor is confused with deep thoughts:
“The hallmark of civilization is routine…But the sign of a truly advanced mind is the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.”
Hyacinth on Hyacinth
One thing is for about Hyacinth Bridgerton: she’s not boring. She a bit peculiar and hardly the portrait of perfection, but she’s never dull. A sentiment demonstrated by comparing two difference self-expressed opinions of herself to determine which is the truth and which the less so:
“I think we can both agree that, for better or for worse, I am a bit more diabolical than a typical female. Or male, for that matter”
“For all my insufferable ways, I am in truth the soul of kindness and amiability.”
