GiGi

Hi Jo-mama, You make some really good points about Magdalene. It is so hard to tell exactly who Magdalene is and what her motivations were for what she did. Other than her catty attempts to chase off Eva, the reader isn’t left with any dialogue that they can reference. It will be really interesting to see if Sylvia includes the Magdalene character in the next book. I hope she is included. I think that she can add a lot to the Gideon Eva dynamic.

    Hi LNCronan, If Magdalene dropped her Gideon torch, it is because she was forced too. The jig was up. After viewing the video footage of her having sex with Christopher Jr. she could no longer play the chaste, virginal character. I think that was here entire premises with Gideon. She also knew that Gideon wouldn’t want sloppy seconds. Game over! I say that Magdalene was less pathetic afterwards because she cut her hair, stopped carrying the Corinne torch and started to let her own personality develop a little. Maybe she realized the games she was playing to get Gideon weren’t working so she decided to change tactics. She never really went after Gideon as herself. She always looked or acted like someone else. Maybe the reader will get a chance to see the real Magdalene in the third book if she decides to make a play for Gideon’s affections. What does everyone think?

Hi MrsCrossfire, I found the passage that you were talking about. It is on page 99 of BTY. So little is said about whether Anne and Terrance Lucas's marriage survived the affair that the reader could wonder whether that was she who spoke to Eva. If their marriage didn't survive the affair I am not sure it would have made sense for Anne to be at that social event. You have a good eye for detail. I too missed that little passage. :)

Hi LNCronan, I don’t think that Gideon’s last name was changed because it was probably too much of a hassle for everyone involved (Gideon would have to have been adopted etc.). I also agree that Vidal Sr. probably took Elizabeth Cross’s son because he was forced to. I also think that maybe he wanted to make sure that the world knew that there was a distinction between the family he created with Elizabeth Vidal and the one he was stuck with-Gideon Cross. I really hope that the third installment of the series will help to address everyone’s theories, because right now we are all stuck in “Speculation-Villeâ€. Sigh!

    Hi LNCronan, I didn’t find anything out of the ordinary when Eva talked about her first impressions of Gideon’s parents. What I did find interesting was how Christopher Vidal Sr. made it a point to distinguish himself from his son with Eva? Why? Most parents are really proud of their children and wouldn’t mind about how they were addressed…as in “hi you must Christopher’s dad etc…†Why would Vidal Sr. want to make that distinction with someone who wasn’t really even Christopher Jr. friend but Gideon’s instead? It is my theory and assertion that Gideon was left alone with his abuser subsequent to all of the examinations by the doctors. If you go back to book and read what Gideon said during one of his nightmares, it appears that Gideon’s attacks were extremely brutal. Gideon was screaming and crying during these attacks. What I wonder is where the heck was his mother when he was being attacked? Did none of the household staff hear him? How did the attacker explain Gideon’s crying and physical discomfort after one of his sessions? Did his mom really not notice?! What does everyone think?

Hi LNCronan, I find it interesting that individuals who have survived horrific abuse can then turn around and be labeled with horrible psychiatric illnesses. Let’s face it; it is like the ultimate slap in the face for a survivor to not only be demeaned by his/her abuser but also to be slapped in the face by the medical establishment, by saying that the victim is mentally ill. Just because a person has suffered horrendous abuse doesn’t make him/her mentally ill, it means that they have suffered trauma and need help getting through those experiences. I think that many in the medical profession rush to judgment with “medical diagnosis†when they aren’t nearly capable or qualified to do so. Current research and some of the very best in psychiatry have cleared stated that the medical profession has rushed to judgment, and that many patients have been incorrectly or completely misdiagnosed. They also state that the old “compendium†is clearly outdated and that many of the categories don’t serve a purpose. A person can’t be a “little psychotic†or a “little sociopathicâ€. Having stated all of that, Sylvia may decide that indeed Gideon is one or many of the above and I the reader will have to figure out how to wrap my mind around “her†theories. I guess I will find out on June 4th.

Hi Mrsmajessick, This is Part Three: As for the dominant theory, yes I agree with you. I think that he uses that as a coping mechanism. I think that if he isn’t in control of his sexual experiences, Gideon is afraid that he will be hurt again (just like he was badly hurt in his childhood where he had no control). What is more interesting is the fact that somewhere deep down inside of him; Gideon really enjoyed that sexual experience with Eva. I suspect that for the first time in his life, Gideon allowed another human being to “top†him and as a result had an explosively positive sexual experience with Eva. That’s when he let his guard down just for a second and then subsequently went into a tailspin. He made the connection, for a brief second, that it is ok to let someone else take charge and; that you can be safe and have a pleasurable, positive, sexual experience. That alone would have directly contradicted every single other sexual experience Gideon ever had. I could see why he would be completely freaked out! He just contradicted himself and his own rules (that he set up to protect himself) and realized that maybe wouldn’t all those rules after all! If he didn’t need all those rules to live then how would he live? How is he supposed to navigate his way in this world, without getting hurt, without a plan and without all of his defenses? Wow! Scary! I think that prior to his relationship with Eva; sex was just a pleasurable way to pass the time. It was a nice physical release. Gideon even mentioned that prior to Eva; he never had a lot of sex. It would be easy for the reader to understand why. Gideon had most likely associated sexual activity with pain and punishment. Later on in life, Gideon probably tested the waters and found a way that he could gain some type of pleasure in an activity that had once caused him so much pain. I think that is why he set up so many conditions before he had sex (i.e. He had to be in control, had to hold down his partner, was forceful during sex, etc.). When Gideon started dating Corinne, he was settling. Maybe Gideon thought that because of all of his problems and issues that no woman would ever really want or love him. I don’t think that he thought that he could do any better. Corinne was someone that he could pass the time with (she was pretty, soft spoken, never had an unkind word to say…). I don’t think that Gideon consciously used her, but in retrospect it is obvious that he did. It is like he stated before…â€he allowed himself to be caught.,,†I think that he was in complete control the whole time but was trying to fool himself into being with someone whom he didn’t really love. He never connected with Corinne the way he did with Eva. In many respects, I think that Eva is his first real girlfriend. This is the only woman that he has ever opened his heart and home to. You mentioned that you don’t think that Gideon knows how to love; I assert that I think Gideon knows how to love but that he is afraid to love and to let love in because he has been so badly abused in his past. All of his experiences have taught him that; people are mean, people are scary, people will hurt him and people will do anything to destroy him. Finally with respect to your other comment, I think that Gideon knows who he is, but I think that he is afraid to trust that knowledge. I do however think that Gideon is learning and discovering who he is as an adult. The only emotional reference that Gideon has is that of a child which is what could cause him problems in the future. Phew! OK, what do you think?

Hi Mrsmajessick, This is Part Two: The Canadian Pediatric Psychiatric Association states that a child will never have as many brain cells as they do in their first two and a half years of life. They also state that a child will have learned everything about right and wrong within that time and that their personality will have solidified by the age of five. So if Gideon’s life was good for those first five years then there is no way that he could be a sociopath or psychopath. Sociopathy or psychopathy isn’t an acquired mental illness. You are either born with it or not. By Gideon’s own admission (cue beach scene where Gideon describes his formative years in RIY); he was raised in a happy and loving home during those years. I assert that Gideon is capable of feeling compassion for another human being and that was demonstrated to me with his interactions with Eva. Gideon is a highly organized individual who is capable of being successful in his daily life (sustaining an income, maintaining work/friend relationships etc.). As a matter of psychological protection, I think that Gideon just closed himself off from the world. Gideon learned at a very early age, that no one was to be trusted, not even your friends, they could turn against you in a heartbeat. He most likely learned that lesson in Kindergarten and then subsequently during the years he was bullied and beaten up by the children he once played with. I don’t believe that Gideon is a psychopath either for the same reasons. Gideon is capable of love, can complete daily and life tasks, is organized and can maintain relationships. I think that the abuse that Gideon suffered, in conjunction with every other thing that this kid had to endure, was enough to get him to shut down completely emotionally. I am actually surprised that Gideon didn’t suffer a complete mental breakdown. If anything, Gideon’s ability to continue on is a real testament to just how strong he was and continues to be. • I don’t think that it is possible for a person to be diagnosed as being both a sociopath and a psychopath for some of the many reason I listed above. • I don’t think that Gideon has a split personality either. Again I state that this man was so severely abused; physically, emotionally, verbally and sexually, that he had no other choice but to shut down. His brain/psyche went directly into protection mode instead of splintering or fragmenting into other personalities. • When a person is constantly being abused in some form or other and can’t find a place of reprieve, the mind can do many things in order to protect itself and shutting down emotionally can be one of those things. That’s why I think that Gideon reacted the way he did. • I find it extremely suspect that someone would diagnose a child with such severe psychiatric illnesses without the benefit of consultations from other specialists, without P.E.T. Scans (specific scans of the brain to map out injuries, deficiencies, etc.) or other tangible diagnostic tests, and without taking into account the amount of abuse this child suffered. • A person also needs to remember that Gideon was still a child when Dr. Lucas was dishing out his diagnoses. That would have been the only time that he could credibly have made this assertion. That in itself is INSANE!!! • Either Dr. Lucas is responsible for abusing Gideon: In which case the abuser has finished having his fill of his victim and then seeks to destroy the child by labeling the child with such a horrific mental illness that no other healthcare professional would credibly believe this child’s story or Dr. Lucas is responsible for covering up the abuse and is thereby trying to silence the child’s voice and therefore trying to destroy Gideon’s ability to speak about what happened to him. • Dr. Lucas’s diagnosis of Gideon was completely self-serving! He either covered up or committed a crime and tried to destroy his victim in the process. How are those actions not self serving? • If Gideon had any of those “supposed†mental illnesses then he would have self destructed long before he built an entire empire, made lots of money, had relationships, etc. If Gideon was that ill, he most likely wouldn’t have even been able to finish school (meaning University…huge majority of people with these types of mental illnesses crack under the academic pressure). Gideon not only survived but thrived in all aspects of his life! • Everyone expects that when a child is abused and is beginning to speak about these things as an adult that they should just get over it. It doesn’t work that way. Gideon has an incredible number of issues to work through! All of the learning that he should have done as a child, he now has to do as an adult with absolutely no support from his family. • Children are supposed to learn from their mistakes in an unconditionally loving supportive environment. Gideon got none of those opportunities. • Gideon is now trying to learn and Eva is doing her best to support him and love him unconditionally but it is difficult because that is putting a huge amount of stress on her which really she shouldn’t have to bear. • Eva is not just Gideon’s girlfriend/lover, she has now had to take on the mother role, and that also must be very taxing on her and on her relationship with Gideon.

    Hi Mrsmajessick, I sat and thought about everything you said and then I thought about the way in which people are labeled with psychiatric disorders and I have to say that it stinks! From the very beginning Gideon was labeled with one severe psychiatric illness or other. Bullcrap!! I quickly want to add that the process of diagnosing someone with a severe mental illness is a very involved process which includes; diagnostic testing, talk therapy and consultations with several other healthcare professionals over a long period of time. Psychiatry isn’t an exact science and a diagnosis like this should NEVER be made lightly!! That is why I worry about general physicians diagnosing so many patients with psychiatric illnesses that they really have no business doing so. A fifteen minute consultation isn’t nearly enough time for someone to make that kind of assessment (depression/manic depression/bi-polar disorder, etc.). I could begin to discuss the many reasons why doctors profits from these diagnoses; drug company kick backs, etc. (physicians get bonuses every time they prescribe psychiatric drugs etc.) but I suspect that I might get lynched. • Gideon was misdiagnosed unjustly! In the beginning his life was very happy and then his father killed himself. As a result of his father’s actions; Gideon was ridiculed, tormented, ostracized and bullied. What’s worse, his mother didn’t do anything to help him with that. Just think about that for a second, here we have a small child whose world has literally turned upside down and everyone has turned against him. • Instead of helping her son deal with all the scrutiny, Elizabeth Vidal decided to find herself another little “nest egg†and married Christopher Vidal. So for Gideon, not only had his father died in a horrific and tragic way (a man that Gideon loved, adored and wanted to be just like-as all little children do when they are that young), but his father was being replaced and in Gideon’s mind that could have meant that in some way Gideon was being replaced as well. Gideon looked just like his father-everyone kept saying so and then all of a sudden everyone hated Gideon’s father. How could that not affect Gideon? • The drama in Gideon’s life began when he was five, which is Kindergarten age. I suspect that Gideon went from having friends in school to all the children and their parents ostracizing Gideon. I can just see Gideon going up to one of his friends one day after all of this happened and his friends’ moms are there yanking their sons/daughters back saying in a very stern voice to the child “stay away from that boy-meaning Gideon and his family!†In that instance, Gideon’s world would have been destroyed-so he no longer would have felt safe at school. He had no friends to play with, no outlet to vent his frustrations at home to and was left to deal with things on his own. • What is worse, the parents of the children Gideon once played with modeled and demonstrated that Gideon was someone to be ridiculed, avoided and removed at any cost. The parents gave their children permission, by their actions, to pick on Gideon. • Elizabeth Vidal was now married and had born Vidal Sr. a son, so not only was Gideon’s father replaced, but the birth of another son meant that in some way Gideon was being replaced too. • Children often feel that they are the cause of their parent’s problems; if only I was better behaved then maybe daddy wouldn’t have killed himself or went away (…fill in the blank..). Maybe Gideon somehow shouldered that burden and Elizabeth Vidal’s actions/or lack thereof, solidified the belief in Gideon that he was the cause for his father’s suicide, his mother’s remarriage, his step-father’s disdain and for the fact that his mother replaced him (i.e. the birth of Christopher Jr.). • It takes an exceptional human being to raise another man’s child and love them unconditionally-I don’t that Christopher Vidal Sr. was that type of man. • Instead of spending her time helping Gideon to adjust to all of the changes going on his life, Elizabeth Vidal dedicated that energy building a life with Christopher Vidal Sr. and having yet another child. Instead of paying attention to her first child and helping him through his difficulties, she may have secretly blamed him for his circumstances and thrown him to the wolves. • As the years progressed Gideon got angrier and angrier and justifiably so. Each and every safe place that a child could take refuge in was systematically destroyed. So what is the only thing that Gideon can do? Get angry! I don’t even think that was his first response though. I think that as a child, Gideon cried, tried to be friends with the kids who picked on him, tried to be accommodating wit the adults who hated him and tried to be whatever he thought would get him the love and acceptance that was viciously taken away from him and that he was desperate to have. • When all else failed, I think that’s when he emotionally shut down and became VERY, VERY ANGRY!!

Hi everyone, I wonder whether Magdalene was bred for the role of being pathetic. Jo-mama stated that Elizabeth Vidal and Magdalene’s mother were friends, best friends so I wonder if these two women cooked up some type of scenario in their heads about…â€wouldn’t it be nice if Magdalene and Gideon got together?...now if only Gideon could get his act together and settle down with a nice girl like Magdalene.†Who knows what kind of verbal coaching or otherwise Magdalene may have gotten from her mother and/or Elizabeth Vidal…â€Be patient Magdalene…Gideon will come around….Gideon loves long haired raven beauties…..hint, hint, hint…†Oh to be a fly on the wall of that home when those conversations were going on. It could also be argued that Magdalene was a socialite herself and therefore a woman of means. She would in turn be looking for a partner with the same social standing and breeding. Gideon fit the bill with the exception of his terrible temper and whoring ways. Ah, but a man can always be forgiven for his naughty ways….and he is GORGEOUS to boot! All kidding aside, I think that his looks played a definite role in how women treated him later on in life and how often things were overlooked. What does everyone else think?

Hi LNCronan, I read your posting and that was exactly my point. Carey was hit from behind, put his arms up to protect his head and had his arm broken in the process. I personally think that Nathan got in several good blows before Carey’s bones started breaking. Carey was a healthy young man so it would have taken some effort to “break†a body. The argument could be made as to what kind of bat Nathan used (metal or wood) could be a determining factor in just how many blows he was able to get in before he was chased off. You are doing an incredible job of compiling the information for this collective working theory. Thank you! I swear if you keep this up, you are going to be able to write an “alternate†fan’s choice of Sylvia’s books. You will have all the answers ready even before the reader has questions. If you are not Sylvia Day in disguise are you a modern day young Miss Marple? I just have to ask…:)

Hi LNCronan, You are right about Christopher Jr. It is hard for the reader to figure out exactly where he was coming from. I personally wouldn’t even know where to begin in terms of speculation. The most obvious choice would be that he hoped Magdalene and Eva would have gotten into it again. Maybe so much so that Eva would have thrown her hands up in the air and walked away from Gideon for good. Then maybe Christopher Jr. could have swept in and walked away with the damsel in distress! Sigh! Rotten Fairy Tales! The party scene was significant for me because it gave me a clue as to how Christopher Jr. felt about Magdalene. He was trying to send a woman in to do his dirty work for him (i.e. Break up Eva and Gideon for good) and he didn’t even care about a woman he was sleeping with. The reader is left with that feeling by the way Sylvia described the scene…â€it looked like he knew where to touch, rub, was well acquainted with her body…†(I am paraphrasing here, but the meaning is clear) Christopher Jr. and Magdalene had slept together before and perhaps on a regular or frequent basis. In Christopher Jr.’s eyes, Magdalene wasn’t a person with feelings. She was something to be used (like an object of sorts), used up and tossed as aside when his main objective/goal was achieved. Holy crap, this guy is starting to sound like Gideon…a cruder version of him….but him all the same. It seems that no one in this family has a moral compass. I am really beginning to wonder if everyone is morally corrupt, then what is going to happen to poor Ireland. Sigh! Maybe Sylvia will give her a series of her own. What do you think? What does everyone think?

Hi LNCronan, Your comments about Gideon entering therapy voluntarily relate in some way to what it was that I was saying. I think that Gideon did all of this because yes, he was afraid of losing Eva, but I also think that he was beginning to realize that everything he had done up until then wasn’t working. He knew that he needed help and he reached out. If the reader were to sit and look at Gideon’s action of going into therapy; that would be a HUGE step for a man who had been horribly abused by a Grad Student/counselor. To me that is mind blowing! It is amazing what love can do to someone! That is where I see Gideon’s character growing and evolving. He is no longer just reacting like an eleven year old boy; he is taking the steps to act like a man. What do you think? What does everyone think?

Hi LNCronan, I had a couple thoughts of my own about the theories: • If Gideon had Nathan followed (which is possible), why didn’t the investigators intervene when Carey started being attacked. • Carey took an initial blow to the back of the head, which means when he fell to the ground, he either fell onto his stomach or onto his back. His first instinct would have been to cover the back of his head or his face and head (automatic response). So this was a very serious situation from the start. Why did the investigators not intervene sooner? Or worse, did they just sit back and watch? I don’t believe this is a “red herringâ€. Gideon surrounds himself with only the very best people and yet someone on his watch let that kind of beating occur without him or her having done something sooner? I don’t buy it. By anyone’s standards that is a colossal screw up. • In the first book BTY, Gideon said something along the lines “…I am going to make him wish he was dead…â€. That means that Gideon didn’t plan on killing Nathan I think he just planned on torturing the man and picking apart his world piece by piece until he had nothing! Literally! Figuratively! The Works! • I made a comment earlier about imminent danger and perceived danger. There is a big difference there. If you read the detectives comments, she chooses her words very carefully and that distinction can mean the difference between justifiable homicide and premeditated murder. • Gideon would have no way of explaining how he; stalked Nathan, have him under surveillance, beat him up, planned his murder….that all spells premeditation to me. I also have to wonder where the original copies of the video and photos are. I am sure that Nathan wouldn’t have shown original copies to either Stanton or Nathan. There would be too much risk involved with the blackmail evidence being destroyed. Somehow, given the personality Gideon has, I don’t see that man resting until he has found every last copy (including the originals) of those damning videos and photos. What does everyone think?

Hi LNCronan, Are you trying to mock poor little “ol†me with your “red herring†theory that someone else killed Nathan (wink, wink!)? That’s ok, I said it before I will say it again…someone has to root for the underdog! It might as well be me! I was thinking about the whole Gideon confessing thing and somehow I don’t think that in the end he would. If by some stretch of the imagination he did the ultimate crime to Eva, I think that it would only be under the most controlled of situations and within the confines of a marriage. Spousal privilege would be applicable, etc. I was also thinking about what you said about Eva’s dad and I have to wonder whether Victor would try to get Gideon to confess or whether he would go after him legally himself. My gut instinct would be a firm “NOâ€! If Eva’s dad went digging for all the facts in the case then he would find out about Eva being repeatedly and brutally raped, the subsequent pregnancy and miscarriage and all the evidence of “physical trauma†Eva suffered. I would then wonder whether his instincts as a father would outweigh his professional instincts. You never know, this type of situation could actually backfire and Victor could wind up helping Gideon and Eva cover up Nathan’s murder and not lose on ounce of sleep in doing so. What I would love to see is how Victor would react to Monica the next time he saw her if he found out about his daughter’s abuse. I almost think that Victor would go looking for Monica and try to get some kind of explanation as to why Monica had her head in the clouds and wasn’t paying attention to her daughter for all those years. Surely Eva’s personality must have changed during those years of abuse? Why wasn’t Monica paying attention to that? What do you think? What does everyone think? :)

Hi LNCronan, I read your posting (thread 122) and that’s what my understanding was as well. I think that Gideon may have a case of arrested development. It sounds crazy, but if the reader looks at his behaviours thus far, it seems like it is an eleven year old boy and not a twenty-eight year old man reacting to these situations. • You make an interesting point about Gideon’s mother having left him emotionally. Gideon may very well have perceived that. • I think that when Gideon told Eva to go slow that first time in the limousine, it was because he didn’t want her to get hurt. In BTY, Gideon described her anatomy as being “tightâ€, so it was my understanding that Gideon would not want to do anything that could physically harm her (i.e. As in Gideon was physically responsible for harming another person in such an intimate way.). • Gideon’s concern for her comfort during s** shows a man who cares, is capable of caring and has compassion for another human being. • I just want to clarify are you saying that there is a correlation between the scene in Gideon’s limousine and then later on the scene in Vidal family library? If so, please explain. • As for the scenes between Gideon and Eva being in his apartment-to me that shows a man who is allowing another human being into his world “literallyâ€. I think that at this point Gideon is in love and that is why he is taking so many risks. • Another point to be made is that it is cruel for Gideon to give Corinne (false/by omission/or otherwise) false hope. Surely Gideon must realize that Corinne is still in love with him. If he doesn’t then maybe he needs to get his “eyes†checked. Maybe he and Magdalene go in on a two for one special for cataract surgery! Sigh! • It was my understanding that in Gideon’s mind, he and Eva had not broken up that first time. He was simply returning her keys to her, because he had a copy made and placed a key of his apartment on her key ring. What do you think? What does everyone think? I am so looking forward to everyone’s thoughts. :)

    Hi Mrsmajessick, That’s exactly my point sister! I agree completely! I would like to think that Gideon is coming from a child’s perspective; that is he is reacting like an eleven year old boy, instead of a twenty-eight year old man. I once read an article that basically said “that a child’s development tends to arrest at the age when the child was first abusedâ€. It is a form of arrested development. I don’t know if there is any specific literature or any type of proof that refutes this assertion but in this instance Gideon’s actions seem to fit this theory. I think that Gideon’s lack of compassion toward Corinne may end up creating a devastating situation for all parties involved. Corinne may go by way of “fatal attractionâ€. As Corinne continues to have interaction with Eva, she seems to be getting nastier and nastier. It wouldn’t be a far stretch for me to see Corinne losing it mentally and then retaliating in an aggressive or violent manner. If something like that happened then I would be profoundly sad for her. Other than loving Gideon and being caught up by his lies of omission, Corinne seems to be a good person. I think that this type of situation could occur very easily because I don’t think that Corinne may have taken a really good look at why her relationship with Gideon didn’t work out. I think it was easier to blame herself then to look at Gideon’s actions. If Corinne really moved back to New York thinking that she was going to win back Gideon, then that should be a huge red flag for everyone. Corinne married a man she didn’t truly love and left a man that never really loved her. That is an incredibly sad situation for someone to be in. What I don’t understand is why Gideon wasn’t freaked out by the fact that Corinne picked an apartment right around the corner from him. If you combine that with the fact that Corinne calls and speaks with Gideon on a daily basis that would send up another red flag for me. I can hardly wait to see what is going to happen in June. It will be very interesting to see how Sylvia deals with Gideon’s lack of compassion toward Corinne. For such a smart man, Gideon can be very short sighted and it seems that because of his obsessive love of Eva, his short sighted tendencies seem to be affecting everyone. Your theory about Gideon’s moral compass is absolutely plausible and quite frankly I never thought about it that way. Well put! As for the killer and quantifying killers bit, I have to finishing laughing, pick myself up off the floor and post this! :)

    Hi Mrsmajessick, That’s exactly my point sister! I agree completely! I would like to think that Gideon is coming from a child’s perspective; that is he is reacting like an eleven year old boy, instead of a twenty-eight year old man. I once read an article that basically said “that a child’s development tends to arrest at the age when the child was first abusedâ€. It is a form of arrested development. I don’t know if there is any specific literature or any type of proof that refutes this assertion but in this instance Gideon’s actions seem to fit this theory. I think that Gideon’s lack of compassion toward Corinne may end up creating a devastating situation for all parties involved. Corinne may go by way of “fatal attractionâ€. As Corinne continues to have interaction with Eva, she seems to be getting nastier and nastier. It wouldn’t be a far stretch for me to see Corinne losing it mentally and then retaliating in an aggressive or violent manner. If something like that happened then I would be profoundly sad for her. Other than loving Gideon and being caught up by his lies of omission, Corinne seems to be a good person. I think that this type of situation could occur very easily because I don’t think that Corinne may have taken a really good look at why her relationship with Gideon didn’t work out. I think it was easier to blame herself then to look at Gideon’s actions. If Corinne really moved back to New York thinking that she was going to win back Gideon, then that should be a huge red flag for everyone. Corinne married a man she didn’t truly love and left a man that never really loved her. That is an incredibly sad situation for someone to be in. What I don’t understand is why Gideon wasn’t freaked out by the fact that Corinne picked an apartment right around the corner from him. If you combine that with the fact that Corinne calls and speaks with Gideon on a daily basis that would send up another red flag for me. I can hardly wait to see what is going to happen in June. It will be very interesting to see how Sylvia deals with Gideon’s lack of compassion toward Corinne. For such a smart man, Gideon can be very short sighted and it seems that because of his obsessive love of Eva, his short sighted tendencies seem to be affecting everyone. Your theory about Gideon’s moral compass is absolutely plausible and quite frankly I never thought about it that way. Well put! As for the killer and quantifying killers bit, I have to finishing laughing, pick myself up off the floor and post this! :)

Hi everyone, What about "Your Love Amazes Me" by John Berry?

    Hi AMC, I guess that is exactly what I mean. What is the difference between perception and actual physical mortal danger? As far as the law is concerned, there is a huge difference between the two of them. I am sure that the detective wouldn’t disclose all of the evidence they found at the crime scene also. It wouldn’t make sense to me as a reader if she did. What would make sense to me is if the Detective tried to mislead Eva, you know mix in a little bit of the truth with her own personal theories to try and gain more information for her investigation. As far as I can tell, thus far, the detective is just speculating. She doesn’t actually have any physical evidence to prove that Gideon did anything let alone was at the crime scene. This is a huge snag for her as a professional trained to investigate crimes and crack alibis. I agree with your theory that Gideon was having Nathan followed. I just need a little more evidence that Gideon did indeed kill Nathan (i.e. Sylvia’s written word ) and the weapon used to kill Nathan would help me to believe. :)

    Part Four: The good Dr. Lucas can’t seem to look at the role he played in; either having covered-up Gideon’s abuse or being responsible for having abused Gideon. Our good doctor also seems very comfortable in shifting the blame for the demise of his marriage. Every woman knows that if her relationship is strong and is valued by her and her partner, then there never would have been any affair in the first place. Somewhere along the lines, Dr. Lucas dropped the ball with his wife, neglected her and left her vulnerable and open to an affair. I think that the medical diagnosis Dr. Lucas bestowed on Gideon was completely self-serving: 1. A narcissist can’t think about anyone else’s experiences above their own. Each and every single step of the way, Gideon has been concerned about Eva’s comfort during sex. A narcissistic personality wouldn’t be worrying about anyone else’s comfort but his/her own. 2. Gideon agreed to Eva’s request. A narcissist would enter into an agreement that would see them on the short end of the stick sexually. 3. During the Las Vegas trip, Eva sent either Clancy or another bodyguard to guard Gideon and made sure that Gideon couldn’t be within three feet of another human being. To everyone’s amusement, Gideon honored that request and was turned on by it. 4. If Gideon did kill Eva, then he would have confessed his sins to her at some point, because he wouldn’t care about any perceived burden it may cause her to know this information. 5. If Gideon was a sociopath, then his actions and concern for fitting in with society would be justified. The only problem would be that sociopaths tend to be disorganized and their thoughts frenetic. This medical diagnosis is the complete antithesis of Gideon’s personality. Finally I believe that the threat of losing Eva is what is driving Gideon to be more open and is what is causing his growth and changes as to how he approaches life situations. Ultimately I think that Gideon is just a scared little boy, in a man’s body, who is afraid that is someone knows all of his big, bad secrets, and then he will get hurt again. Each and every single person of importance, in his life, has judged him, ridiculed him and demeaned him in some way. I think that the situation with Eva may either make or break him as a human being. This is the very first time that he has ever opened himself up to another person and because he doesn’t have control it is terrifying to him. Wow! Was that ever a long post! So many thoughts and they seem to all relate to one another! What do you think? :)

    Part Three: Mrsmajessick, you are absolutely right about Gideon having created and using coping mechanisms before he met Eva. I also agree that once Eva walked in the door those coping mechanisms flew right out the window. We can see evidence of that because Eva won’t accept anything less than candor and honesty. Gideon quickly learns that if he wants to keep Eva, he needs to open his mouth and his heart to her. I think that is the greatest lesson Gideon is in the process of learning. I think that this is the very first time that he is making his heart available and that is what is sending him into a tailspin. I am not sure that Gideon has learned the skills of trust and honesty. I don’t know if he knows how to open his heart but he is learning. You mentioned Dr. Lucas’s assessment of Gideon as being a Narcissistic sociopath who also has misogynistic tendencies (page 241 RIY) and I find that an interesting theory because it says more about Dr. Lucas then it does about Gideon. Dr. Lucas supposedly treated (or didn’t treat) Gideon as a patient at some point, which should make discussing Gideon strictly off limits. Yet our good Dr. Lucas is going to do humanity-and Eva, a favour, by trying to save her from Gideon.

    Hi Mrsmajessick, This is Part Two: I think that all of those instances are indicators of a man truly in love. Love is supposed to make you want to be better as a person and to be a better person for the one you love. In some strange way I think that Gideon is making those changes and is trying not only for Eva but for him as well. Gideon has been betrayed in the most profound and devastating of ways: 1. He was betrayed by his mother when she didn’t believe him about the abuse. 2. Gideon could no longer physically feel safe in his home because his mother kept inviting his abuser to the house so maybe Gideon didn’t know when these “counseling sessions†were scheduled. 3. I suspect that if Gideon knew that he had a scheduled “counseling session at his home, he may have been trying to pick fights with students at school or trying to get detentions at school in order to avoid going home and having to physically confront his abuser. 4. Christopher Vidal Sr. may have been responsible for covering-up Gideon’s abuse. His mother may or may not have known (but that doesn’t matter because Gideon could no longer feel safe going to his mother-she didn’t believe him). 5. Gideon was being blamed for his behaviour and perhaps inadvertently for his mother’s difficult pregnancy. He seemed to be the sole person responsible for all the turmoil and drama in the house. 6. Gideon was being blamed for everyone else’s problems. That’s a huge psychological burden for a child to bear and what is worse, he probably believed that he was responsible for everything. 7. Gideon’s body was being violated by the abuser, so he wasn’t able to even feel safe in his own skin. 8. Gideon may have felt that he no longer had any family or anyone he could turn to-again that would be utterly devastating for a child who needs someone to protect him from all the monsters in the world.

    Hi Mrsmajessick, I just wanted to start this posting off by letting you and everyone in the forum know that this posting is going to be broken up into a few separate postings. I had a lot of thoughts about what you said and I want to make sure that everyone’s eyes don’t shrivel up in their eye sockets while they are reading this. I was thinking about your theory and it is plausible. My thought is that it is possible for a person to grow and change if the motivation is strong enough. I guess the argument could be made that Gideon’s love for Eva is what is driving him to hold on to that relationship and thereby grow and change (I don’t think that growing and changing is his ultimate goal). Maybe all of Gideon’s experiences of betrayal have caused him to build up a fortress around him (a fortress so strong that no one will ever be able to penetrate it and hurt him). If we sit back and actually look at both the books in their entirety, this is the first semi-healthy relationship Gideon has ever had with anyone. Yes, yes, I know, this relationship is screwed up but thinks of this: • This is the first relationship that Gideon has chased after a woman (he chased and he caught). • This the first time that Gideon tried a different modus operandi, he allowed Eva to take the lead when he and Eva had sexual intercourse in the limousine that first time. Up until then Gideon was chasing, catching and dictating what sexual acts he was going to perform on Eva. I think that when Eva said that “she wanted this-meaning sexual intercourse with Gideonâ€, he desired her so much that he was willing to try something new and relinquish control to her. • Although Gideon had his hands on Eva’s hips during that experience, he didn’t physically restrain her arms, which seems to have also been a first for him. • This is the first time that he has felt a strong physical attraction to a woman-Eva. • Eva is the only woman that Gideon has brought over to his penthouse (yet again another first). • Eva is the only woman that Gideon has ever slept beside. That in itself is a profound act, because Gideon was opening himself up to risk, which is something that he hates. Eva might see one of his nightmares, which she did. I am also sure that his household staff must have heard one of his nightmares and maybe said something along the lines of “Are you ok Sir? It sounded like you were having a terrible nightmare last night? “. Employer or not, Gideon is a human being and if his staff heard that they would have been concerned for him.

    Hi LNCronan, I think that Carey could potentially be a problem, but I am sure that problem could be solved if Gideon arranges a nice line of credit for the boy (I am almost kidding but even I am beginning to wonder)! I think that Carey has made it clear how he feels about Gideon and Eva dating. Carey has genuine cause for concern for Eva’s mental and physical safety. Thus far Gideon has demonstrated on two occasions that his violent dreams can really harm Eva. What I find interesting is how Gideon’s secrets are making him sick. There is an old saying “we are only as sick as our secretsâ€. It seems that in this case, the old adage seems to be true. I think what remains to be seen is what Carey’s agenda is exactly? Is Carey the friend who just wants to protect Eva or does he see himself as the potential new lover? Making that kind of play would be a huge risk for Carey. He could lose everything if Eva doesn’t return his affections. I know that this is wild speculation but it is something worth chewing on. No one seems to know Carey better than Eva does. No one has ever supported Carey the way Eva does and no one has ever expected anything from Carey other than him being good to himself other than Eva. She is the only one who never wanted anything from Carey and I am absolutely sure that point isn’t lost on Carey. It is plausible that Gideon and Eva find a little love nest of their own where no one can spot them. Somewhere that is public enough that either one can get lost in a crowd or somewhere where either of them can have a valid reason for being spotted there (not together but separately). Gideon and Eva run in the same social circles so much of their meetings could be explained away by attending charities and social functions. I think that it would be highly suspicious if either Gideon or Eva stopped living their lives (separately of course) out in public. If they changed their social routines or daily habits, a detective could find that highly suspicious. What does everyone think?