We end Besieged with a quite moment between Lord John Grey and his mother. Here’s a look at Besieged Section 14.
After the events of the last few sections, it’s easy to overlook the story that Benedicta was writing. It’s time to return to that, as we bring another Lord John Grey book to a close.
Breaking down Besieged Section 14
The section starts with Lord John Grey returning to Benedicta’s house in Havana. He has Malcolm and This is a very short section of the story, but it’s needed to help bring the story to a close. We return to Lord John Grey and Benedicta, as they have a much-needed quiet and personal moment.
It all goes back to the story that Lord John Grey found. Benedicta is writing her own story, and John makes a note that he has never found wives to be all that interesting enough for a story. He hasn’t met Claire Fraser just yet, but I’m sure he’ll be changing his tone soon.
Benedicta makes it clear that she needs to write down her personal story for her children and grandchildren. She wants to make sure they know who she was and what she did. She knows that stories can be left forgotten if they’re not written down, and she doesn’t want that to happen for her.
Is this a little narcissistic? Maybe, but I also think there’s an element of care and love. We do tend to wonder what our ancestors did and who they were. Benedicta is offering her descendants a chance to learn about her, and there’s such a tender moment between mother and son in this. I think everything with Olivia and Charlotte has reminded her that life is short.
Could this section be used in a TV adaptation?
In a way, this section wouldn’t be all that needed if there was an adaptation of Besieged. However, I think it’s a great chance to pick up that thread about the book that John and Tom found and also offer a private moment between John and Benedicta. We need to see that there is love between the two of them, as Benedicta can be quite brash at times.
I would like something included if the book was ever used. I don’t remember Malcolm learning about Olivia, unless I completely blanked out a short part. I did wonder why Malcolm didn’t wonder where Olivia was when he walked into Benedicta’s house, so I’d like to see that mentioned if this novella was ever turned into a TV series.
Let us know what you spotted in this chapter via Facebook and Twitter