Demelza Poldark- A Fall From Grace In A Fall For Hugh Armitage

Art of Vera Adexer (@veraAdxer_Art)

"I should have staked my life on it. Demelza was true to the grain. There wasn't a flaw in her-In this damned world-"  
Ross Poldark (DEMELZA)

While Ross had previously experienced his own fall from grace with Elizabeth and therefore his grave error of judgment and emotion, this quote is reflective of his thoughts showing how he held Demelza up to a high standard. They are from the second book 'Demelza' after he is upset to learn that with Verity having previously been separated by her family from Captain Andrew Blamey, Demelza went behind his back and helped to reconnect them. Whilst Ross soon got over his anger of the role Demelza played in Verity's elopement, this comment from him certainly shows what he thought of Demelza and her ability to do wrong. It's a very clear statement that Ross almost had Demelza up there with the angels, and as he said, that he would have 'staked' his life on it. Naturally this of course means that he would never have thought her capable of infidelity against him. But that she did indeed do with Lieutenant Hugh Armitage. Beforehand Ross seemingly trusted her one hundred percent. For example, in book five (Black Moon), when Ross's cousin, St John Peter warned him at a party that a "damned Frenchie has his eye on Demelza..." and that he better watch out for her because before he knew it the 'Frenchie' would be "boarding her", Ross barely batted an eyelid. This was not because he did not care but because, as he said and he thought, "Demelza knows what to do with grappling irons...". In other words he had complete faith in her. So the story line that sees Demelza be unfaithful to Ross, both in thought and deed, is one that saw Ross rocked to the core with despair at her infidelity. Indeed, although the book lovers on the whole tend to find Demelza