Only Time Will Tell Read-a-Long! discussion

Finally…a glimpse into the mind of Hugo Barrington! I kept hoping there was some redeemable quality about the man, but alas, there is not. What do you think about Hugo? What do you think drives him to be so evil? Insecurity? Fear?

I really like Detective Inspector Blakemore—if only his wit would outmatch Hugo’s power and position. So far, money seems to “solve all” for Hugo. And poor Maisie! As if the odds being completely against her wasn’t enough, now Hugo is eliminating every single chance of hope for the woman, and she doesn’t even know it.

Old Jack Tar is next!

*Comment below and we will randomly select one of you to win the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th book in the CLIFTON CHRONICLES series!*

I haven't quite finished this section yet (NO SPOILERS, PLEASE!). Hugo is so stupid and nasty - Whatever did Maisie see in him? I'm enjoying the story but all of the characters seem so one-dimensional and unreal I'm not wasting any energy wondering about their motivations.

Hugo Barrington cant help himself being a bad guy. Have to give credit to Massie for being a soldier and keeping on marching.

I dont like that Stan Tancock gave up on Arthur Clifton so easily. Dont think there is going to be any section where Stan tells his story.

I have just finished the third section! I am hoping that Hugo gets what is coming to him! I am a little confused why Hugo worked with the banker to give backing for the tea shop purchase, unless it was to control Maisie's financial future.

Hugo's arrogance will be his downfall...oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive. (Or at least I hope so!)

Hugo is an idiot if he thinks he's getting away with anything. There are too many people who know bits and pieces of what has gone on over the last few years.

And I'm thinking Mrs. Barrington knows way more than anyone is giving her credit for. She keeps making a point of asking Hugo why he snubs or ignores Harry.

At this point I'm thinking Jack and Mrs. Barrington are going to unite forces against Hugo to save not only Harry, but Giles as well. I'm thinking Harry is going to be pivotal in saving Giles from something major.

And hoping Hugo takes the fall he deserves.

OK just finished chapters 1-10 and now comes the dirt. Hugo sure is a man you can easily hate and I do. I find myself not wanting to read anymore but then needing to find out the truth. This book is like an onion with many layers.

Definitely a man without character is our Hugo and meant to be the bad guy who makes all others likable in contrast.
Evil always has a way with ruining a person's pursuit of happiness and we will see how the author treats Maisie and Harry. I have no assumptions at this point as to the road that Maisie will now take to get her boy into school. Onward!!

Linda wrote: "Hugo is an idiot if he thinks he's getting away with anything. There are too many people who know bits and pieces of what has gone on over the last few years.

And I'm thinking Mrs. Barrington kn..."

Linda, I do like your thoughts about Jack and Mrs. Barrinton and also about Harry saving Giles in the future. I do feel Mrs. Barrington is going to play hopefully in the demise of her husband, but I really like where your thoughts are going. :)

What a despicable person Hugo is. It's a shame such people are allowed to exist at all, but then, if they did not, we might not appreciate those that are honorable quite so much. A necessary evil, in a way. I do hope that he gets what's coming to him before his life is done.

Melissa wrote: "Linda wrote: "Hugo is an idiot if he thinks he's getting away with anything. There are too many people who know bits and pieces of what has gone on over the last few years.

And I'm thinking Mrs...."d
I hadn't even thought that Mrs. B might be involved in Mr. B's demise. Hmmm... there is a thought I'll have to role over a few times. Don't want to be a spoiler so won't mention what is coming in the next chapters that could play into what that theory. And we probably won't know much until the next book. Gosh hope I get a free copy of that one so I can jump right into it again,

Sandra wrote: "What a despicable person Hugo is. It's a shame such people are allowed to exist at all, but then, if they did not, we might not appreciate those that are honorable quite so much. A necessary evil..."

Well said Sandra, I agree, but did not say it as well as you. Thanks!!

Just finished Hugo's section, and what a jerk he is! He is so self-centered and egotistical that he fails to see what is good in his life. He doesn't even like his own daughters, can't stand his wife. He would rather have affairs than sleep with her. His quest for power is going to be his undoing.

Pat wrote: "I have just finished the third section! I am hoping that Hugo gets what is coming to him! I am a little confused why Hugo worked with the banker to give backing for the tea shop purchase, unless ..."

I agree. His backing for the tea shop is inconsistent with all his efforts to destroy Maisie, Harry and Stan.

"I wouldn't even have remembered her name, if she hadn't later accused me of killing her husband."

What a prick! Haskins is complicit in the death of Arthur, though. And how much does Miss Potts know about her boss?

I really like Blakemore, too, Kelsey! He doesn't need modern CSI techniques to get to the bottom of things.

Why would Maisie want to sleep with this jerk in the frst place? Hugo is definitely the evil bad guy character of the book. That profit margin and his position in the company were more important to him than a man's life just made me sick. Hoping Jack Tars section brings better luck for the Clifton family!

I honestly don't think Mrs B had any idea the extent to which Hugo went. Jack Tar knew Hugo was a bum but I doubt his wife did.

Enjoying immensely the book.

Hugo is easy to not like, and he is the character I find hardest to understand and accept. While his dilemma with the ship vs. the life was interesting and almost understandable it might have been better to have made more of the lower value placed on human life in those times.

Looking through the lens of the 21st century this could have been an opportunity for overt reference to the way employees were viewed in that time.

And Hugo's treatment of Harry was also beyond my ken. I found it hard to accept.

But I was not dissuaded from the story, which is great.

Reading through this section and while really satisfied finally resolving the mystery of how on earth Arthur Clifton just disappeared into thin air and people acting as if he never existed, I am also disgusted with Hugo as a character.

Hugo is completely one-dimensional - he is out to save his own skin and does anything he can and then some to cover up his mistakes, lies, and crimes. He is truly an awful person, and I think he is meant to be - I don't expect he will change and see him as the only real antagonist so far.

Side note, when I said Hugo was one-dimensional, I did not mean that about the way Jeffrey Archer developed the character. I meant that his values are all about serving his and only his needs and protecting them at whatever cost. There are unfortunately quite a number of people in the real world who are just as one-dimensional, corrupt, selfish, and dishonest as Hugo Barrington.

Finishing up this section and cannot wait to read the next one about Old Jack Tar!

Hugo is definitely a character you easily hate, but some of his actions are so extreme and make it hard for me to understand his motives. I figured he backed the tea shop so he could have something to hold over her and make
things hard for Maisie, by say, pulling it later and leaving her broke, but why? I don't see the reason for his extreme animosity for Harry and his mother.

Just finished reading this section. Hugo comes across as the consummate bad guy. But he also seems as someone perpetually trying to outshine his father but with no integrity or morals.

I am left with questions though:

Who is Harry's father? Hugo suspects it's him, but the question has not been answered yet which would lead me to guess that it may not be Hugo.

Why did Giles not get a place at Eton? That question is raised many times during this section but not answered.

What surprised me the most is how quickly the mystery of Arthur Clifton's death is resolved. I was not expecting that. What a horrible, suffering death.

The other thing very clear from this section is the power of money - to get someone to keep quiet about a loved one's death, to control the police, to influence the hotel manager, and others. Wonder if the message is going to come around that a time will come when money won't help?

Also interesting that the character of Inspector Blakemore comes back - He disappears in the case of Arthur Clifton's death but then is mentioned again in the case of the fire at Tilly's. I am guessing that he will come up again.

I think the reason Hugo financed the teashop is that he wanted to have power over Masie so he could financially ruin her. It would make sense if he was the one who had her teashop burned down. He seemed surprised about it, but maybe he was just surprised that the police thought they had the culprit. That would be good luck for Hugo because he or his minion are less likely to be caught if the police thought the case was already solved.

Hugo is such a scoundrel. I am wondering why he would back the loan for the tea shop. Would he change the terms of the loan if Maisie was successful. I guess he was counting on her failing so he could turn the screws on her.

It seems incredulous that no one pushed the issue of Arthur Clifton being welded in the hull. I guess it would have been too late after they realized he didn't clock in the following morning.

Hugo is a horrible man. The fact that he left Arthur to die..Wow. He has no feelings for his wife or daughters. It sounds like he is threatened by Harry & his mom. He will do what it takes to make sure that Harry will not take Giles place as the first born. He doesn't even know for sure that he is Harry's father. Hasn't he done enough to the Clifton's? After all he is responsible for Arthur's death. Wonder what he will do next. I'm excited to read on about Jack. I am the most intrigued by Jack of all the people in the book.

UGH!!!!! It was so painful to read this chapter. I hate this guy. I was honest to God seething through the whole thing. Great job at writing a villain Mr.Archer but did he have to be so convincing? lol I need some hot chocolate after this chapter.

What motivates Hugo to be the way he is? What does he think he's achieving by being such a nasty pastie. I wonder if he's just lived such a life of privilege and always been the centre of everyone's attention, getting away with anything and everything, that he just hasn't and won't grow up. He seems a very entitled, self-preserving jerk.

I quite liked the detective too but alas, he seems to have been thwarted mid-case. Stan disappointed me, but that was already hinted at earlier in the book.

What I'm not seeing yet is why Hugo seems to intent on destroying Maisie. What drives him to go so far! It seems a bit extreme to try to destroy someone's everything and to throw so much time, effort and money at something so nasty.

Wow, I really don't like Hugo Barrington. He was born into privilege and still acts like a jerk. I could not believe he was scheming to hurt Maisie after all the hard she has gone through.

Now to see what Old Jack Tar is thinking and what connections he has to the Harry and his family.

No redeeming qualities in Hugo. Never cared for Stan, but now dislike him even more.