256 Quiz Answer

The answer is Richard III.  Lady Anne Neville is Prince Edward's widow and the daughter-in-law of the late King.  Although she knows Richard is the "fiend" responsible for her husband and father-in-law's deaths, she allows herself to be manipulated into marrying him.

She is most famous for succumbing to Richard's charms when he successfully woos her...in front of her father-in-law’s corpse.

(Also for Three Word Wednesday and ABC Wednesday: "D" is for "diabolical.")

I wrote the following scenelet, two young women talking together.  Who’s the guy they’re talking about?

“Sit down and relax.  Tell me what’s been going on while I’ve been away.”

“Not much to tell, as far as my story is concerned.  But as for our friend Anne – you know what happened to Anne?”

“Well, I know she was having problems with that same creep.  He kept pursuing her.”

“He’s not pursuing her any more.”

“Good.  I’m glad she got rid of him.”

“H’mm.  I see you’re not up to speed about all that’s happened.  He’s not pursuing her because he got her.  They were married.”

“What?!  Anne marrying that…  Tell me you’re joking!”

“No, it’s unbelievable but true.  I was there when it happened; I saw it all.”

“What happened?”

“Well, Anne was at this funeral procession for the death of her father-in-law.  She has had such a miserable time, what with the death of her husband earlier.  And this unspeakable character – after all, he was the one responsible for the old man’s death – he comes up to her and tries to turn on the charm.  Makes you shiver just to think of it.”

“What was her reaction to that?”

“Wild.  Really wild.  She was yelling at him, cursing him, she even spit on him.  He doesn't wilt; he takes it all calmly, continues talking about how he’s in love with her and so on.”

“Incredible.”

“Especially incredible because while this was going on the old man’s corpse was right there a few feet away.”

“The rumors I heard were that he may have been the one who did away with her husband.”

“Turns out those rumors may well be true.”

“But after all that you say she married the beast?  He's diabolical!  How on earth could she ever do such a thing?”

“Well, the guy – you’d have to see it to believe it – he seems to be able to talk anyone into anything.  He went on with how special she was and how it was a pure, true love he felt for her and how much he desired her.  Then to top it off – get this – he blamed her for all the bad things that had happened, saying that she was so wonderful, so beautiful, that he just couldn’t help himself.  So it was her fault.”