The Bedwyn Saga

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

A historical romance series written by Mary Balogh following the romances of the Bedwym siblings. Bedwyns are known for being adventurous and marrying late in life. The reason for delaying their marriages is their famliy tradition stating that they only marry for love and are always faithful to their spouse. At the series's beginning, with the exception of Aidan who's fighting the French on the continent, all the Bedwyns are residing a Lindsey Hall.

  • Slightly Married (Aidan's Story)
  • Slightly Wicked (Rannulf's Story)
  • Slightly Scandalous (Freyja's Story)
  • Slightly Tempted (Morgan's Story)
  • Slightly Sinful (Alleyne's Story)
  • Slightly Dangerous (Wulfric's Story)

Tropes used in The Bedwyn Saga include:
  • Acquitted Too Late: The Earl of Rosthorn wasn't executed, but his father who he loved dearly banished him to continental Europe for the supposed crime and died before the girl finally fessed up that it was all a lie. So his father died thinking his beloved son was a druken rapist.
  • Attending Your Own Funeral: Alleyne doesn't make it back in time for his memorial service, but does show up in time for Morgan's wedding brekfast. Lindsey Hall and Morgan herself are deck out in lavender, a symbol of mourning.
  • Chekhov's Gunman: In Slightly Tempted, while searching the battlefield for Alleyne's body, the Earl of Rosthorn notices a woman calling for help because her husband is injured. In Slightly Sinful we find out the woman's name is Rachel. And the injured man she claims is her husband? That would be Alleyne.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Pretty much all of the Bedwyns.

Aiden: If I had thought I would ever be part of a conspiracy to matchmake for Wulfric, I would have shot myself on some battlefield and blamed the French.

  • Death of the Hypotenuse: Slightly Dangerous begins with mention that Wulf's long term mistress has died of illness. She was never a love interest, their relationship was more of a business relationship, but it did mean he was completely free of any involvement when he met Christine.
  • Defiled Forever: Averted. Eve had consensual pre-marital sex before she met Aidan. She tells Aidan this after they're married but before they consumate it. Aidan's alright with it because he's not a virgin either. Well, he's alright with it until Eve's old lover shows back up.
  • The Duke of Wellington: Is mentioned a few times.
  • Fiery Blonde: Freyja. Her love interest imagines that being with her would be like making love to a lit pile of firecrackers.
    • Isn't she blonde?
  • Frame-Up: The Earl of Rosthorn in Morgan's story was framed for rape. His old friend drugged him to make it look like the they slept together, but when faced with her angry father, cried rape.
    • Judith is accused of stealing her grandmother's jewels by her Stalker with a Crush cousin. His family goes along with it because Rannulf was going to choose Judith over their daughter.
  • Heroic Vow: Aidan makes one to Eve's dying brother who had saved his life once, not realizing that it means he'll have marry Eve to fulfill it. He's not too happy about it but I Gave My Word kicks in.
  • Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Joshua and Freyja.
  • I Will Wait for You: Technically averted. While lacking his memory, Alleyne can't marry Rachel, who he's "ruined" while under the impression she was a prostitute, because he specifically remembers that there was a woman waiting in Brussels for him. Much angst is had by the lovers even though the reader is aware that the woman waiting for him was his sister, Morgan.
  • Never Found the Body: Alleyne, which if you weren't aware that there was an "Alleyne's Story", would probably tip you off to the fact he's Not Quite Dead.
  • Sexless Marriage: Aidan intends for his marriage with Eve to be one of these, also with him never having to see her again after she and her staff are safe. But then Wulf finds out and decides to start arranging Eve's entrance to society to avoid a scandal. After that Aidan decides that no one will respect his husbandly rights unless he exercises them.
  • The Stoic: Several people reference how an icicle wouldn't melt in Wulfric's hand.
  • Trauma-Induced Amnesia: Alleyne falls off his horse delivering a dispatch at the Battle of Brussels. He wakes up in a whorehouse minus his clothes and any idea who he is.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Morgan delivers one of these to Marianne, the woman Wulf was supposed to marry, for framing Rosthorn for her rape. But because Marianne did it because she was a lesbian and didn't want to marry a man we're supposed to forgive her.
  • Woman Scorned: Freyja in the prequel series, though she scorned him first. By the time her story rolls around she's more depressed about it than angry.
    • Also, the daughter of one of Aidan's fellow officers. There was an understanding that when the time came, Aidan would ask for her hand out of practicality. She and her family run into Aidan and Eve in London, and were less than pleased to find he had aquired a wife in the few weeks since they'd seen him last.