A False Impression? -Elizabeth's Impulsive And Romantic Disclosure To Ross

In a perfectly cool, young voice she said "I never really believed you were dead. I thought I loved francis better...And then I discovered my mistake.”

Elizabeth to Ross ‘Warleggan’ (Internal book 1 Chapter 3)

In 'Warleggan’ Elizabeth suggested to Ross Poldark at a party that long ago she had realised that she loved him 'better' than her husband Francis Poldark. As with her quote above, she referred to herself as having discovered that she had made a 'mistake'. Elizabeth also also went on to give Ross the impression that this self discovery of hers had been an ongoing  'astonishment' and 'humiliation' to her afterwards. However it was nine years beforehand, as Ross had recalled, where Elizabeth had told him "I don't love you." Winston Graham had shared in real time that on that Easter Wednesday of 1784 Elizabeth also told Ross "...Ross, ours was a boy-and-girl attachment. I was very fond of you......But you went away and I met Francis and with Francis it was different. I loved him..." This means that her disclosure at the Warleggan party was a reversal of what she had told Ross initially, and on the face of it this surprising disclosure looked like quite a personal, impulsive and self deprecating revelation from Elizabeth. This is especially since she was typically quite a guarded character. However, aside from the reworkings of her character in the most recent adaptation of Poldark, based on the original story in the books, the question of Elizabeth loving or not loving Ross has never been explicit and without question, in the way that the feeling of love has been between other characters in the story. This post will therefore explore whether Elizabeth's disclosure to Ross was a truthful one or whether he was given a false impression. 

Absence Of A Devastated Heart- Elizabeth Compared (Pt2 A Lacking Instinct Of Love For Ross Poldark)

The previous and part one of this post titled 'The Distant And Cheating Heart Of Elizabeth' covers Elizabeth's loving instinct when she was separated from Ross before the written story began. They were each other's first love and they had promised to marry when he returned to her from war. What was apparent was that during this separation from Ross, Elizabeth's loving instinct was lacking. Rather than absence making her heart grow fonder and her faithfully waiting for Ross, the opposite happened. Instead, she didn't wait for Ross and she formed a new attachment with his cousin, Francis Poldark. As narrated by Graham in the first edition of the first book, as well as Ross realising through her letters to him that Elizabeth had felt a 'slackening' interest in him while he was away, just as she later told him several times, their love to her was just a 'childish' thing and their romance had just been a 'boy and girl attachment'. This in a sense explains the lack of a loving impulse by her towards Ross at that point in the story, and most likely towards him thereafter. 

Theme of The Separated Lovers

What is also apparent is that the separated lover's theme was one that Graham replicated not just in Elizabeth and Ross's story but several times in his saga in the love stories of other characters. These were characters whose love for their suitor was written so that this love would never be in question to the reader. It so happened that in those stories there were elements of devastation that both of the lovers suffered as a result of their separation from each other. Another manifestation of the loving instinct for these couples was that during the separations they pined for each other, were concerned for the other and often even deteriorated in looks, health and mental well being until they were reunited with each other. It is clear to conclude that in this separated lover's theme and storyline Graham singled Elizabeth out as not suffering from a distraught and devastated heart in Ross's absence, and on his return. This supports the suspicion that equally, unlike the others where they loved and were moved by a feeling of love, Elizabeth did not truly love Ross in that way and therefore was not moved by this level of feeling either.

Elizabeth's Loving Instinct Compared. - A Different Mindset

Comparison can be a great teacher of a 'likely truth' as it is often the case that a significance can be found in commonality or differentiation. Therefore in this post, concepts and themes in Elizabeth's actions and thoughts on Ross (as set out in the previous post), will be set against those in the love stories of characters such as Verity, Caroline, Morwenna, Drake, Clowance and Jeremy. This is because they all had similar dilemmas to Elizabeth in their love stories but she acted differently to them. It's a fair consideration that she went against the grain because her feeling and the impulse this would stimulate was not the same as with the other characters and did not even compare really. 

Although comparisons with other characters might not be a perfect and definitive indication of a fact or this 'likely truth',  as referred above, it can certainly be a revealing and worthy consideration if the outcome consistently goes so far against the norm for how the loving instinct would normally manifest itself. The fact that in respect of Ross, Elizabeth consistently failed to act as if she followed the natural impulse of love or had thoughts akin to this, strongly suggests that this is because she had a completely different mindset and feeling from the other male and female characters that did truly love. 

Elizabeth Poldark: A Touch of Red Dress Seduction (A Love for Ross Poldark ? Pt9)

It is one thing to have established in the last blog 'Not Happy You're happy Ross', that Elizabeth was not genuinely happy in Ross's newly wedded bliss to Demelza, and it is another to establish that she sought to inadvertently sabotage his happiness with this because of her own needs. In this ninth blog looking at Elizabeth's love or lack of real love for Ross Poldark, six years into her own marriage with Francis, the start of her mission to 'rebuild her ascendancy over Ross' and how she went about this is the focus. Demelza's blue dress seduction has been covered in previous blogs including 'Seduction, a Blue Dress and a Spirit of Love'. However though not faithfully or at all documented in either of the television adaptions a contrast Winston Graham provided in his story sees Elizabeth attempt to do the same thing in her own way and to seduce Ross, but with a red dress. Although this is on a much more muted and subtle scale Elizabeth definitely seeks to seduce Ross Poldark with her choice of dress and has a scene where she more actively employs what in her own subtle way was a 'touch of red dress seduction' of him. Whilst this could be overlooked, in terms of their frustrated love story her use of the dress on two occasions are significant scenes and so too is Elizabeth's mindset in driving their flirtatious exchange on the second and the impact on Ross's peace of mind.

A Mission Formed And A Red Dress For Ascendancy Over Ross

Initial thoughts could lead one to wonder why after five years or so of marriage did Elizabeth first decide she needed to get back to the forefront of Ross's mind. Especially when in the first four years she did not even visit him. The timing is probably relevant and despite Verity's likely reports of Ross and Demelza's newly wedded bliss, as set out in the Blog The Greatest Love Above Any Other, when Ross finally introduced Demelza to the family for the Christmas gathering at Trenwith six months after they married, Elizabeth would have seen for herself just how happy they seemed. Not surprisingly it was only then that Elizabeth's mission to reclaim Ross's primary attention was born. Graham did not confirm this to the reader until a further six months later in the next book, book two (Demelza). By then Demelza had given birth to their first child Julia, and Graham revealed that ahead of Julia's Christening party Elizabeth '..had taken pains to see if she could rebuild her ascendancy over Ross, a matter that was becoming more important to her than it had once been.' In doing so, for the Christening she chose to wear a 'brocaded dress of crimson velvet, with broad ribbons round the waist and tiers of lace on the sleeves.' Therefore since crimson is a rich and deep shade of red, red was her colour of choice. Graham added that 'To anyone with a sense of colour the rich crimson made her fairness mesmeric.' Here, it was therefore clear that just as Demelza had once sought Ross's romantic investment in her by dressing up for him in his mother's blue dress, Elizabeth did the same by dressing up for him in her mesmeric red one. However with 'ascendancy' meaning to rise above to a position of dominance, Elizabeth's aim was to have a hold over Ross and for Ross to desire and place her above another woman. His own wife! 

Elizabeth Poldark: Not happy You Are Happy Ross (A Love for Ross - Pt8)

Following Elizabeth's troubles over her marriage and her attempt to reach out to Ross after four years during her random and unexpected visit to Nampara, we see that she hit what appeared to be a dead end with him there. This is explored on the last blog Reaching out For Ross. There realising that there was something between Ross and Demelza Elizabeth thinks 'I cant come here again..After all this time, and now it's too late.'  In this eighth blog of the series looking at Elizabeth's love or lack of love for Ross Poldark, her reaction to his marriage is the focus. This is alongside some of her past behaviour and this with her self love is considered more specifically against a definition of what true love is, in order to see if Elizabeth comes close to this regarding her feelings for Ross. 

Silence From Elizabeth for Ross's Good news

In the last blog (The Real Love Triangle, The Powerful Rival) Graham had advised the reader that Francis was wrong to be jealous of Ross. This was since unknown to him Geoffrey Charles was his real rival for Elizabeth's love. Not Ross. Despite this and since Francis had not yet come to this realisation for himself, we are told that upon hearing the news of Ross's marriage 'Francis seemed relieved rather than shocked:..' Although in the latest television adaption he was written as being shocked and even concerned about the affect of such a marriage on Ross's reputation. That was not the case in the original book story where he was quite supportive of the marriage. Verity wrote Ross a letter to convey her congratulations and well wishes. There was no reported response of Elizabeth. Yet if the premise of Graham's story included Elizabeth making a mistake, being and remaining in love with Ross all along, it is strange that her immediate reaction to his marriage to another woman was not considered a key thing to document and then used to emphasis that she was indeed in love with him. The absence of this suggests that a love of Ross by Elizabeth was in fact not a key or definite premise to this story even though some readers may feel quite strongly that it is and that she always did love him very much. 

Reaching Out for Ross (Elizabeth: A Love for Ross Poldark Pt7)

The last blog looking at Elizabeth's love for Ross was 'The Real Love Triangle, The Powerful Rival' and was against a backdrop of her being a year into her marriage with Francis and feeling happy with thoughts that 'life is good'. In contrast at that point her thoughts of Ross were of feeling sorry for him. Graham did not make any such love for Ross so very apparent or absolutely without question. However, connected to her preoccupation with Geoffrey Charles, Francis was now feeling rejected by her. Graham narrated in conclusion that Francis was wrong to be jealous of Ross and that Geoffrey Charles was his more powerful rival. This is the seventh blog looking at Elizabeth's love or lack of love for Ross Poldark. Having previously told Ross to forget about her and essentially move on, she moved to a time when she now began to reach out for Ross. The question arising is whether this indicates that she was in love with Ross all along and only just then had finally decided to submit to this. 

Too Late to come to Ross 

Elizabeth reaches out to Ross when she visits him at Nampara a day after he happened to sleep with Demelza. There she had a realisation of something between them. Leaving abruptly she thinks "I can't come here again, she thought. After all this time, and now it's too late." It's this thought that arouses suspicion that Elizabeth intended to reconnect with Ross romantically but saw his involvement with Demelza as a barrier meaning it was 'too late' for this idea after all. The key to working out if this was her submitting to her love of him is to be surer of her purpose with this visit, why then and what exactly she was too late for.

A  visit that was an uncommon Occurrence

Elizabeth's visit to Nampara is nearly FOUR YEARS after her marriage to Francis. The real reason behind it is never stated. Guesses can be made and it does appear to be suspicious to begin with. Certainly this visit was unexpected and not a common occurrence. She told Ross she was just passing and they (at Trenwith) had not seen him in a month or so. Ross's response saying "Don't make excuses for your coming. Only for not having come before." reveals that though they saw each other she was not a regular visitor to him and quite possibly had not visited Nampara much at all over the four years. The awkwardness to this visit is evident. As Ross opened with small talk of what he had been doing we are told that "She was ill-at ease." Also that "They chatted for some minutes with a sort of anxious agreeableness." So there was no naturalness akin to what was passed off by her as a chance visit while passing by. The likelihood that over the years she had passed by at other times but did not stop suggests that her decision to randomly do so now was probably not casual but with a specific mission in mind.

The Real Love Triangle, The Powerful Rival (Elizabeth: A Love for Ross Poldark -Pt6)

'There was no one to tell him that he was wrong in being jealous of Ross.' 
Book one- Ross Poldark 

In the journey through the saga looking at Elizabeth's love for Ross this blog looks at a time when she was up to a year into her marriage with Francis and in particularly the circumstances around Geoffrey Charles's birth and Christening day. If she was in love with his cousin, Ross, this situation would essentially be a love triangle with Elizabeth in the centre and the burning issue being who of Francis and Ross did she love and who of the two did she really want to be with. In this blog, and in continuing the assessment of Elizabeth's love for Ross, her marriage to Francis and her state of mind about this is explored. This includes the reasons for the cracks that eventually surfaced in the marriage after Geoffrey's Charles's birth and her thoughts and actions to Ross all alongside this. In this it becomes evident that the question of who held Elizabeth's heart might not be found in the 'Francis-Elizabeth-Ross' love triangle after all.  

Francis and Elizabeth Poldark -The newly and happy married couple 

As supporting characters there are only occasional and fleeting glimpses into the Francis and Elizabeth marriage. Still updates are given here and there on the progress and hints on the reason for the cracks that occurred. At six months in to their marriage their attendance at the Truro Charity ball which was also separately attended by Ross as Verity's escort, is the first glimpse that Graham gives of them as newly weds. Elizabeth was described as smiling and waving to Verity as she entered the refreshment room with Francis and George Warleggan. Graham also referred to her being in good spirits and stated that she was 'excited and therefore radiantly beautiful'. She confirmed this herself when Francis explained their short notice decision to attend the party was because of all the fun to come. He expressed that even if all of England depended on it he could not be sedate that night. In agreement with him Elizabeth smiled at Captain Blamey saying "Nor I, I hope our boisterous spirits do not jar upon you, sir," As quite a reserved character this may well have been the most animated and lively that Elizabeth ever presented in the saga. The scene does seem to depict a happily and newly married couple enjoying their social life together. Verity offered another and therefore third party perspective of them looking like this too when in book two (Demelza), she attended the same event years later and was reminiscing back. On this occasion she was saddened that Captain Blamey was not with her due to family objections. With him in mind; 'She thought: this is just like five years ago, we sat here like this and listened to some people flirting in the next alcove, and we looked at a drawing of a ship, and Elizabeth and Francis came in suddenly, quite newly married and flushed and happy....' (*)

Just A Boy And Girl Attachment (Elizabeth: A Love for Ross Poldark -Pt5)

'I wished that we should be close friends. Until today I believed that we could. But-if you are like this I can't see you again. Not ever."
Elizabeth Poldark (Book -Ross Poldark)

This is now the fifth blog which looks at this issue of Elizabeth's love or lack of this for Ross Poldark by focussing on a specific section of the book or incident which would help to decipher where Elizabeth really stood on loving Ross. So far these blogs have looked at her failure to wait for Ross to return from the war while knowing that he was still alive and deciding with her own mind that she wanted to marry Francis. As explored in the last blog, during her wedding day encounter with him she offered Ross no real consolation for his woes but did ask him to meet her needs and to offer her his good will and happiness for him. 

All Elizabeth's treatment of Ross so far seemed to have veered to the unloving rather than the loving. This is indeed a reminder of the reference to 'Elizabeth, the loved but the unloving, the Galatea who never woke.' That is taken from book three (Jeremy Poldark) but here in this blog we are looking at Elizabeth's third encounter with Ross in book one (Ross Poldark). It presents as a head to head confrontation following Ross's outburst to her about his disappointment in how she had let him down. The encounter proves to be quite revealing in respect of Elizabeth and the more emotive language used by her here provides more to decipher if there was a loving or unloving instinct towards him by her.

A Long Awaited But Feeble & Irritated Explanation

It was about six months after Elizabeth's wedding that Ross got a chance to have this third encounter with Elizabeth following his return to Cornwall. This one was by chance as he had intended to see uncle Charles for legal advice about keeping new girl on the scene Demelza in order to be his scullery maid but without having her father's consent. It would be this meeting where Elizabeth would finally lose her composure and where she would finally say something of substance about her reasons for marrying another man. With uncle Charles not being home she still asked Ross in to the Trenwith estate. Presumably she was hoping to have a friendly chat. As Ross had faced Elizabeth and her dismissiveness previously and was probably still stewing about her unexplained betrayal, on this occasion he was not so friendly. After stating his intended business with uncle Charles in a manner that was to the point and lacking in warmth, crying tears she told him that he was being 'Viciously bitter'. In the circumstances where her only explanation to him so far for breaking a promise to marry him, and which he had relied on for two years, was just a vague comment that 'We were so young.', Elizabeth's accusation against that backdrop was probably rather harsh and disproportionate. His polite but curt standoffishness as opposed to maintaining a bubbly demeanour was quite understandable. Nevertheless it was this comment which seemed to unleashed Ross's inner resentment and provoked him into an outpouring of his feelings about her broken marriage promise. 

Wedding blues for two? (Elizabeth: A Love for Ross Poldark -Pt4)

"Today is my day. I do want to be happy and to feel that those about me are the same."Elizabeth Poldark

This is the fourth blog in the exploration of whether Elizabeth Poldark (Nee' Chynoweth) ever loved Ross Poldark. It requires this examination because in all the seven books she neither explicitly stated that she loved Ross, or thought that she loved him and the narrator never ever confirmed this either. Coupled with her questionable behaviour towards Ross, the truth of this theory is a little mysterious and can only be resolved by looking at her thoughts, words and behaviour at various points in the story. Having looked at her initial failure to keep the faith with Ross by breaking her promise of marriage to him, the discreet and easily missed revelation later in the saga that in truth she had never thought he was dead, as well as the evidence that she was not pressured by her family into a marriage to Francis that she did not want herself anyway, there does not so far appear on this close examination to be an obvious real and true love for Ross by Elizabeth. That is based on the original story as documented in the books rather than any television adaption. Here Elizabeth's second encounter with Ross since he returned to Cornwall is scrutinised and it is in this that more can be seen of what Elizabeth was seeking from Ross, more on her feelings about her choice and a sneak peek about why she did not wait for Ross.

Wedding day blues for who?

The first edition print of Ross Poldark has additional text of Elizabeth and Francis's wedding day. It is interesting to see how she presented here and therefore indications of her mindset about marrying Francis instead of Ross.

Leaving the church in their wedding carriage Francis is typically charming, cheery and in good spirits. Equally typical, Elizabeth is stiff and poised in comparison. Though she did not look to be smiling, when Francis told her that she "..should laugh. Smile and sing, my dearest...", she insists "I am smiling." Though Francis himself is not necessarily convinced it becomes apparent as she comments on the 'lovely morning' and 'sunshine' that one of the things on her mind is her fear that the clouds may bring rain to spoil her wedding dress. Incidentally she then proceeds to quiz Francis about if he likes her dress along with informing him that her shoes were from London. Despite her more poised appearance Graham as narrator still described both Francis and Elizabeth as being 'Far too much on view and far too excited to relax...'. That may somewhat explains her stance most likely as a nervous or unrelaxed bride who was fully on show to everyone but under it all was nevertheless excited by her big day and concerned about her appearance. Further we are told that in the carriage '...Francis and Elizabeth sat stiffly beside each other, her right hand clasped in his left..." They engaged in some playful banter together as Francis reminded her of her duty to 'love, honour and obey' him but cheekily highlighted that she should focus on 'obeying' him. Elizabeth takes the jest in good spirits and replies that he himself should particularly note that of the 'love, honour and

Her own mind or her parent's mind? (Elizabeth: A Love for Ross Poldark -Pt3)

"What I have done I have done willingly and of my own mind."
                                                                         Elizabeth Poldark

So far in the journey looking at Elizabeth's love for Ross Poldark it has been established that she did not keep the faith with him and that this was not because she believed he was dead before she chose to marry Francis. As to whether we should still believe that she truly loved him, parental pressure is a potential theory that may support this and explain why Elizabeth Chynoweth chose Francis Poldark instead of Ross. Was Elizabeth acting with her own mind or following the wishes of her parents? That is what is to be explored.

Did Elizabeth only marry Francis instead of Ross Poldark because of family pressure?

The theory which parental pressure is based around for Elizabeth is that her parents did not or would not have allowed her to marry Ross Poldark. If this is the case one might conclude that although she went with Francis she really did love Ross but was simply unable to follow her heart. This idea is certainly perpetuated by the latest TV adaption rather than the books. However whilst it is clear that her mother Mrs Chynoweth did not hold Ross in high esteem and would probably openly admit that she did not like him, there is actually nothing very conclusive and significant in the books to document that Elizabeth was firstly under intense parental pressure to marry Francis and reject Ross and secondly, whether it was intense or mild pressure, that she objected to their wishes and did not herself still want to marry Francis either way. It is therefore necessary to explore these points in order to understand if parental pressure was a real issue in this story. If so then again this could be the explanation for Elizabeth's decision rather than a lack of love for Ross.

What evidence is there of any significant pressure to marry Francis?  Mrs Chynoweth was not featured much in the entire Poldark saga but she was there at Francis and Elizabeth's engagement dinner. She is the person who gladly announced the engagement to an unsuspecting Ross. Much can be made of the fact that in both the latest TV adaption and the books she sent Elizabeth out of the room at the dinner in order for Elizabeth to fetch her shawl for her and then used this opportunity to tell Ross of the engagement news before Elizabeth returned back to the dinner room. The first thought might be that this was a sinister act and the first evidence of parental pressure. On the other hand it may well have been an act of parental kindness and protectiveness to spare her daughter the awkwardness of publicly facing her ex and his potentially angry and upset reaction in that environment and thus spoiling the dinner. It could not have been known whether following the shock of having been led to believe over two years at war that he would be returning for Elizabeth's hand and then to find out in this manner that this was not the case, that he might then have made a horrible scene. On reflection it was probably quite a sensible intervention by Mrs Chynoweth and the discomfort and hesitation of all the other parties there too, (including Verity), and their reluctance to deliver the bad news to him, supports this and gives Mrs Chynoweth some justification for her intervention.

"Then came word that you were dead." (Elizabeth: A Love for Ross Poldark -Pt2)

Hopeless not faithless?

When considering the issue of whether Elizabeth ever had a true and real love for Ross Poldark her own admission that she had not 'kept the faith' with him is relevant and her falling at this first hurdle in their love story was thrashed out in 'A Love for Ross: Elizabeth in keeping the faith' blog. Ultimately her love (if any) did not demonstrate itself as steadfast, enduring and therefore true. This is particularly when compared against some of the other major female characters who did keep the faith with their men. This includes Caroline in respect of Dwight, Verity in respect of Captain Blamey and Morwenna in respect of Drake. All of those couples faced some sort of obstacle and separation which they eventually overcame by remaining in love, showing no interest in directing their love elsewhere and eventually fighting for and staying true to their love. This included separation due to going to war, negative family intervention and being coerced into a marriage with someone else. However while these other femal characters in the book all remained faithful to their love, there is a theory that Elizabeth's failure to do so herself was due to more unique circumstances. That would be that she had no choice or that she faced tougher constraints than these other women of her time. For this blog however, we will look at the theory that she was misled by false information and that wrongly believing Ross to be dead was the only or otherwise the significant reason that she did not wait for him and instead agreed to marry Francis. If true it would be fair to believe that maybe Elizabeth's love for Ross was indeed true and enduring, but that she simply turned to another man not through being faithless but instead through being hopeless. Hopeless that Ross was alive and so in feeling this, one can then believe that she just settled for Francis as the 'Plan B' option. Understanding her mindset on what had happened to Ross is key to assessing her love for him.

Shock Reaction- Ross is back!

When Ross unintentionally gate-crashed the Elizabeth and Francis engagement party there is no doubt that the book narration shows she was affected somehow. It is described that her knuckles went whiter than her face and so it is tempting to assume that Elizabeth's reaction was due to regret that through believing him to be dead she had not waited for Ross long enough before agreeing to marry Francis. His cousin! On the flip side of that, her reaction could easily have been down to shock, guilt, sadness and maybe a shame for having been caught red handed betraying her promise before she had told him herself. Of course, if she was feeling regret, that suggests that upon seeing Ross she no longer wanted to marry Francis and wished to be with Ross; her true love instead. That is apparently. But it really is not possible to say what Elizabeth's reaction is based on for certain because the narrator does not exactly say what she is feeling and why. Still, on a sharper look there is information here during this scene and later in the book to suggest that regret about not marrying Ross and misinformation about his death was not necessarily at the heart of her reaction.

Keeping the Faith (Elizabeth: A Love for Ross Poldark- An introduction Pt1)

"....so very sorry that I'd not been able to -keep faith with you."
                                                                                                                            Elizabeth Chynoweth

This is the beginning of a series of blogs that will explore the issue of Elizabeth Warleggan's love for Ross Poldark since there is actually quite a lot to unpick when considering this. However this is just the introduction and an acknowledgement of the concept of 'Keeping the faith'. This is something which is quite a theme for many of the couplings in Poldark and but it is a major consideration to the idea of a real and true love from Elizabeth to Ross. This post will look at the main themes that arise when exploring Elizabeth love or lack of Love For Ross Poldark. Another key issue is the differing narratives in respect of this matter provided by the television adaptions and the narrative in the original stories of the book. 

Certainly the beginning of the Poldark saga might have someone think that it is to be a story of love between Ross and Elizabeth. That is if the reader was to give up before a quarter of the way through it. Of course, the introduction then of the street urchin, Demelza, ensures that the story goes off down another route and it indeed becomes a love story between Ross and Demelza instead. However, in the first instance it is the aftertaste of the Elizabeth/Ross love story that is not shared with the reader in great detail (as it predates the period the book covers), but which nevertheless fuels a love triangle. First this is with Francis (Ross-Elizabeth-Francis) and then also one with Demelza. Both of these triangles endure from book one (Ross Poldark) to book 4 (Warleggan). However it is really the Elizabeth-Ross-Demelza triangle that is the most active and in featuring the two protagonists it is the one the reader is most likely to be invested in. The end of Warleggan brings an end to this triangle and Winston Graham said "I wanted to do a love story with a 'happy ending' and that was it." (1). He had also intended for the saga to end there until twenty years later when he decided to resume it with a fifth book.

"It Was Always Ross" - Was it Really?

The indelible mark from the Elizabeth/Ross back love story tempts this notion that a key sentiment behind this story is the frustrated love between Elizabeth and Ross. Of course, it is frustrated because they ended up separated and had a love that never worked out and never did thrive. This could sit nicely with the notion that Elizabeth's true love was Ross, that he was 'the one' and that therefore her 'mistake' in choosing Francis over Ross meant that Ross was 'the one that got away'. Certainly the 2015-2019 BBC Tv adaption would have you believe that 'it was always Ross' that Elizabeth loved. An invented flashback scene created for the show sees a young Francis and George looking on at Elizabeth and Ross in the throws of their romance and dancing together in their own world at a party. The words 'it was always Ross' are then muttered over this visual simultaneously. Really, this is quite a liberty, albeit it a subtle one which goes against the spirit of the books. This is because apart from Elizabeth's declaration that actually she had thought she loved Francis better, and this then meaning that it was indeed not at all 'always Ross', neither Francis or George even knew Elizabeth before Ross went to war and when he had enjoyed his short romance with her. They met her for the first time when Ross was away at war. Hence the power of just one scene in tweaking a narrative can be quite considerable.

Did Elizabeth ever love Francis Poldark?

Elizabeth, the loved but unloving? 

The woman who could not make up her mind is often a phase used to describe Elizabeth Warleggan, (formerly Elizabeth Poldark and nee' Chynoweth). The premise of the main story line for at least the first four books in the Poldark Saga stems from her decision not to wait for her teenage sweetheart Ross Poldark to return from the war and therefore not to honour her promise to marry him. The initial love triangle created is through her decision to instead marry his cousin Francis Poldark. Then after she later becomes a widow she marries Ross Poldark's worst enemy, George Warleggan. 

Whilst Winston Graham narrates that Elizabeth married George without loving him and we are not told that she ever came to do so, Graham is not at all clear in giving independent verification on whether she ever loved Francis. Although it has often been presumed that she did love Ross Poldark, curiously the narrator also never at any point confirms this either. The question of whether Elizabeth ever really loved Ross is explored in a series of blogs which starts with a first one called 'Keeping the Faith'. However if one is to say that Ross was the only man Elizabeth ever loved that would be saying that she never ever loved Francis.  Could that really be true?

A forced arrangement or a true love connection?

Indeed it is easy to get swept up in the rhetoric that Elizabeth only ever loved Ross and in doing so it is assumed that her 'mistake' was marrying Francis because she did not love him. It can then be assumed that this is the very reason her marriage to Francis was unsuccessful. The 2015-2019 BBC television adaption of Poldark may well have been primarily responsible for perpetuating the notion that Elizabeth was forced or at least heavily pressured by her parents into marrying Francis. Again this idea is explored in the blog 'Her own mind or her parent's mind?' However when considering whether Elizabeth did love Francis or was pushed to be with him, it is crucial to look at how they got together in the first place before next considering parental pressure.