A Wildcard Round and Results!

Here are the results from The Imperiled Poppets (Round 3)! Another tie to be broken and this time I decline to fall on my sword. Between The Hasty Marriage and Discovering Daisy, I'm going with The Hasty Marriage. The tissues on the side table can be used to mop up your tears. Two ply. Only the best for you Betties:

The Secret Pool vs.
The Hasty Marriage
Cassandra By Chance vs.
Roses Have Thorns
The Promise of Happiness vs.
bye--no match this week

The Secret Pool took down one of my favorites (The Little Dragon), so I'll have one of those tissues if you pass over the box...

In other news, WRONGS have been committed and REDRESS is demanded. This post is for all the books that have gone up against some heavy hitters and have fallen in rounds too early to reflect their awesomeness.

The mob that formed was not going to take the elimation
of 'Blow Hot, Blow Cold' lying down.

I would like you all to cast your votes (No more than four votes per Betty.) and, since your favorites may not get another hearing, tell us why early elimination was a poisoned dart that hit the Baroness, right below her heirloom pearls, instead of the brassy Veronica it was meant for. I will take the top FOUR books and weave them into the current brackets going forward.

You can do this.

Results and The Imperiled Poppets Bracket (Round 3)

Look. I bit the bullet. There was only one tie this week and it was between a book I cannot explain why I adore--Winter Wedding (I think that these books that you read early get stuck in your brain and there is no rational explanation of one's love of them thereafter.)--and a book that has one of my favorite scenes in all of Neelsdom, Matilda's Wedding. Fate, indeed, is remarkable. It's a great hulking bully who kicks people in the shins, that's what.

Week by week, her favorites were falling...

Here are the results of the latest round of voting. As you can see, I moved Fate is Remarkable into a match up.

Henrietta's Own Castle vs.
Fate is Remarkable
Mathilda's Wedding vs.
Only By Chance
A Dream Came True vs.
bye--no contest this week

It was with a good deal of angst that I chose Matilda's Wedding. But I am going to make myself tedious about why I love Winter Wedding and everyone is just going to listen and not argue. 

• First, the improvident application of too much Elizabeth Arden blusher. 
• Second, the moment that happens off-screen when Renier can't sleep and finds himself outside a pawn shop in the early morning buying a locket of all things for a girl he doesn't even like.
• Third, Renier is really good with kids.
• Fourth, Emily rescues Granny! Really heroically. Renier wants her desperately, owes her big time and STILL can't close the deal.
• Fifth, Emily keeps her entire extended family running with a homicidal maniac as a mother's help.
• Sixth, Grandma Jurres-Romeijn trying to bribe her with the family jewels and failing.

I knew it wasn't going to win. Heck, it wouldn't win even if I was the only one voting. But just let me be sad, okay?

Yes. Fine. I'll lose to Chris Pine.
He should give me a hug.

Alright, now that I've worked through my considerable issues, we're on to The Imperiled Poppets Bracket (Round 3)!

Results and The Hocked Locket Bracket (Round 3)

There were some disturbances in the Betty-Force during the last round--some signs that our resolve is beginning to fray. A few of us were desolate about the exit of Blow Hot, Blow Cold. Another faction simmers while Rose Comely gets her day. It's all like this from here on out. The pickings are fat and some of it needs to be trimmed.

I volunteer as tribute.

The closest thing to a tie was between Tulips for Augusta (That opening bit on the private ward is sublime.) and The Mistletoe Kiss (The winner).

Wish With the Candles vs.
The Mistletoe Kiss
A Girl Named Rose vs.
A Gentle Awakening
The Magic of Living (bye)

Now let's sail our ship into the icy waters of The Hocked Locket Bracket! Lots of interesting match-ups there but I hesitate to tell you who I am rooting for. Being a Tie-Breaker is a little like being Zeus, seated in rock-like repose on Mount Olympus (...with a braided beard. That's how I'm imagining it), ready to hurl thunderbolts on unsuspecting mortals.

Betty Keira was not going to take the elimination
of her favorites lying down.

Results and The Handful of A Levels (Round Three)

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I loathe tie-breaking and this week I had none to perform. Our closest contest was between The Girl With Green Eyes and The Vicar's Daughter but the latter squeaked by with one vote. Here are the results (already formatted for Round Four--though I am thinking that we will be doing a Wildcard Round after this one and so I expect that An Ordinary Girl will have a contest when we get to it). I am enormously sorry if voting is frustrating and complicated for anyone. It turns out that communicating all of this is like plunging into a canal to save a rescue dog.

Uncomfortable but, ultimately, worth it

Sister Peters in Amsterdam vs.
Dearest Love

The Vicar's Daughter vs.
Caroline's Waterloo

An Ordinary Girl (bye)


There was a surprisingly passionate group who supported Neels-Black-Sheep A Girl to Love and, as expected, Blow Hot, Blow Cold did not survive Sister Peters in Amsterdam.

I'll allow it. (SNIFF)

Now, let's get voting on The Handful of A Levels Bracket! May justice be swift and decisive.