Inez defends her decision to marry George by stating simply: “I am at home in his heart.” Do you believe she actually fell in love with him that quickly, or was becoming Mrs. Vernon more of a new version of herself that she couldn’t wait to experience, especially since Rita had vanished into her own world? Do you believe in love at first sight?
I think it was a bit of both. He saw her, for her. Not to get to her sister or because of her name, he saw her for who she was. He drew out parts of her that were hidden, even from herself and he made her feel seen, safe, and whole.
love at first sight did not happen for me but I do believe it happens.
She was the shy sister. I think she was amazed and pleased that this man, George was interested in her. It all happened fast for both of them. I think it was love at first sight for them. They had a wonderful marriage, and she obviously could not survive without him.
1 Like
I think she truly loved him. He sought her out. Shy was so shy. He was the love of her life.
I think “I am at home in his heart” is a beautiful sentiment. I believe that she did love him. She needed someone who would pursue her without much encouragement. They both loved music, and he was kind and generous. In the end, she did not want to go on without him. Perhaps if any of her children had been born alive, she would have wanted to remain with them.
As something of a romantic, I’d like to believe it was love at first sight.
I think she truly loved him because he did not compare her to her sister but saw so much potential for possibly sharing a life together or at least happy times or at the least emotional support.
I think another thing that she lived about him is that he pursued her gently. He wasn’t pushy about it. He sent her postcards that let her get to know him in small ways. He brought her flowers, they talked. He saw her for who she was and accepted that without thinking twice.
1 Like
Yep, love at first sight. She didn’t need to shop around. George was the one for her.
I do feel that they were a good match. I love that line of “at home in his heart.,” Isn’t that what we all want, to feel loved so that we can be ourselves. I can be wrong, but I do feel that for them it was love. Sometimes you just know someone is your person.
I felt that Inez truly loved George, and it did not seem that she simply was looking for a way to create a new world for herself as Rita had done. As for the sentiment of being “at home in his [George’s] heart,” I think it is quite serene and lovely.
Aren’t those part of the same whole? If you fall in love with someone , perhaps more so in those times, don’t you eagerly want to be part of them and join them in their life circle? To Inez, being part of George , as in becoming Mrs Vernon , would strike gold on many levels. She was always shy and it was hard to be “ Inez”, now, she would have a new name and a new barrier between her and the world. She would have his status, his name , and him. Married women, I believe had higher status and more deference based on their husband’s status then. She would not only have his love to revel in, but also his support and his name to protect her in many ways. I think in all ways she would have found much to love and would find comfort, security and stability in becoming Mrs Vernon , all things that I believe would ease her shyness or public insecurities.
I was struck by how he pursued her. I believed he really ‘saw’ her from the beginning - who she was and how best to present himself so that she had the opportunity to really see him. I think he fell in love with her at first sight.
I think she did actually fall in love with him that quickly, as he did with her. They seemed to be a perfect match both in personality and interests.
I believe she truly loved him and his returned love of her was part of their strong bond.
I felt that the relationship between Inez and George was a beautiful love story and one of my favorite parts of the novel. To me it seemed as if they had both found their person, which made the loss of George so devastating for Inez.
I truly believed in the relationship between Inez and George. I recently experienced the “loss” of my husband of 56 years; our relationship extended back to high school. I do believe that this kind of love extends beyond death; I’m still working through grief, but I don’t think I’ll ever be done (and I’m not sure I want to be actually). It’s like losing half of you. I think Inez and George found each other (as Joe and I did) at the right time.
I think she fell n love with him, but it was not instantaneous. It happened gradually as he was sending postcards to her (or having them sent to her) and as they spent time together in person. Sometimes you meet a person and feel like you have known them all of your life or that you were meant to meet them & everything that has happened in your life has been leading up to the moment that person entered your life. I don’t think that counts as “love at first sight” but, rather, as simply meeting the right person, the one with whom you just click. I didn’t get the impression that Inez was drawn to George because Rita had moved on in her life. Rather, Inez was becoming her own person, more confident and assured, and understanding her own value. George validated her, accepted her, and truly treasured her. I thought their relationship was tender, sweet, and believable.