Did She Fall Or Was She Pushed? Dangerous Liaisons Readalong 2024

As you say - the plot thickens! I wasn't expecting Merteuil and Danceny!

Thanks Tarahumara! The plot thickens!
That bit about men not loving their wives as much if the wives have been too loving before their marriage is a load of poppycock and sounds exactly like the kind of waffle that Valmont comes out with!

More Shmoop.

Letter 113: The Marquise de Merteuil to the Vicomte de Valmont

• Perhaps worried that Valmont is close to realizing his goal, the Marquise warns him that his absence from Paris is affecting his reputation.
• People are starting to suspect he's in unhappy love with someone in the country, and everyone that dislikes him is enjoying that news.
• She warns him that once people hear that he's no longer irresistible, they'll lose their respect for him.
• She's not worried that Tourvel has taken Madame de Rosemonde as a confidant, because she feels that older women can be very lenient in these matters.
• She's satisfied with the progress with Cécile and assumes, given the girl's letters, that she'll remain more devoted to Danceny than Valmont despite her sexual adventures with Valmont.
• Personally, she's getting tired of Cécile and thinks she's a waste of Valmont's time.
• Meanwhile, the Marquise is looking for something to keep her from dying of boredom.
• Merteuil has grown irritated at Belleroche, her current lover. He's getting too entitled.
• She has a successor for him in mind.
• Danceny!
• His youth and his liveliness are a turn-on for her. And he can be discreet. (Foreshadowing alert.)
• She's become his confidante and she's confident she can make him into more.
• She asks Valmont to keep him away from Cécile.
• To accomplish this, she'll need to convince him she's pure and virtuous.

Letter 114: The Présidente de Tourvel to Madame de Rosemonde

• Despite hearing that Valmont is in no danger, Madame de Tourvel worries about his health.
• She asks Madame de Rosemonde to consult a doctor.
• She's especially worried about Valmont's silence. He hasn't written to her in four days.
• Even though she still refuses to read his letters, she admits that she misses getting them.

Letter 115: The Vicomte de Valmont to the Marquise de Merteuil
Valmont's not worried about the rumors about hmi in Paris. He's sure he'll come out smelling like a rose and more awesome than ever.
He takes offense that the Marquise belittles his conquest of Cécile.
After all, he's managed to steal her away from her beloved in one day and taught her to act like a prostitute, all without her really understanding it. He's totally possessed her.
He promises that once he's slept with the Presidente de Tourvel, he will leave her and she'll never take another lover.
To punish the Marquise for not giving him credit for conquering Cécile, he won't tell her how he plans to conquer Tourvel.
He disapproves of Merteuil's choice of Danceny. He thinks the children should be left to each other.
He lets on that he's pretty sure he's gotten Cécile pregnant.
An unfaithful Danceny would just make the story less interesting. Anyway, he himself is available if the Marquise needs a lover, so why bother with Danceny?
He's so sure that he should have the say about the young couple's fate that he'll be taking charge of writing Cécile's letters. He'll make them more passionate so Danceny will think he can get lucky.
He tells the Marquise he has to rescue Danceny from her clutches.

Letter 116: The Chevalier Danceny to Cécile de Volanges

• Danceny writes of his friendship for Madame de Merteuil.
• He's clearly swept away by her.
• He asks to see Cécile and begs her not to put up any more obstacles to their getting together.
• And of course, he's suffering and only she can end it.
• Why are we not surprised?

Letter 117: Cécile de Volanges to the Chevalier Danceny (dictated by Valmont)

• Cécile (really Valmont) writes that she suffers as Danceny does.
• The reason she's been holding back is because she heard that men don't love their wives as much if the wives have been too loving before their marriage.
• More importantly, she promises to be his, before and during her marriage to Gercourt if that has to happen.

Letter 114!

Letter 14. It's ironic that La Présidente is worrying herself sick over Valmont while he is up all night with Cécile and sleeping by day.

I feel sorry for her in this letter. There is something fatalistic about the line about being born to suffer and that she feels something awful could be about to happen to her.

Much of the time I feel frustrated about the correspondence between Valmont and Tourvel and I wish she could just shake him off, but this is taking a very sad turn. He lives in her head.

Hello @BishyBarnyBee - we have been keeping things going in your absence but we're a bit behind!

Letter 110: The Vicomte de Valmont to the Marquise de Merteuil

• Valmont's letters have been refused and Tourvel has changed her confidant from Volanges to Rosemonde.
• He's thought about just "taking" Tourvel, but he's much prefer that she give herself to him willingly.
• He's had more success with Cécile, lying to her about her mother and convincing her that her noisiness when they're together requires that they meet in his room instead.
• Turning her against her mother seemed to make her even more eager for his sexual advances.
• He's convinced that if a girl respects her mother, then she'll respect herself.
• And he can't have that.
• He's teaching the girl sexual jargon and technicalities that will, they assume, scandalize Gercourt after the two are wed.
• She knows almost everything that Valmont knows.

• Cécile's future husband would like to travel a little with his cousin before he marries.
• He asks Madame de Volanges to let him know if this is a problem.

• Madame de Rosemonde has a bad attack of rheumatism.
• She promises to pend time with the Presidente once she's feeling better.
• Her nephew Valmont seems a little tired and unwell too.
• As does Cécile, who is falling asleep every afternoon for some strange reason.
• Coincidence.

Hi Bishy! Good to hear from you! Three weeks on a bike...I couldn't do three days!
Also hi to @AgualusasLover Good to hear from you too. Hope you both catch up soon.

I enjoyed Gercourt making an appearance. He sounds rather dull and uninteresting, but also reassuringly boring in the midst of all the deceit and mad antics that are going on in Rosamonde's chateau.

I think I missed that bit Cornish but I really like your observation there. Merteuil* *is the only really calm person, I think. Nothing gets under her skin.

Hi @BishyBarnyBee, good to hear from you, hope you enjoy catching up.

I’ve been enjoying the way that pre-internet, MdM’s ability to concentrate on reading is used as a measure of emotional calm.

I am about 30’letters behind, but almost finished evening I am reading so am in that mad phase of what to read, when, how to finish etc.

A few more Shmoop summaries:

Letter 107: Aȥolan to the Vicomte de Valmont

• Valmont's valet (nice alliteration) reports on his progress.
• He's met with Julia, and she has a little information that's new to them.
• Madame de Tourvel has been seen crying and walking with her head covered.
• She's not been eating well and wished to see her confessor.
• She looks sad and distracted.
• As requested, Aȥolan obtained Tourvel's letters and will be sending the interesting ones to Valmont.

Letter 108: The Présidente de Tourvel to Madame de Rosemonde

• Madame de Tourvel is very thankful for Rosemonde's letter.
• She's also received one from "him," Valmont.
• It fills her with emotion and she asks Madame de Rosemonde about his current mood and response to her leaving so suddenly.

Letter 109: Cécile de Volanges to the Marquise de Merteuil

• Cécile tells the Marquise that she returned her letter via Valmont, as she requested.
• Cécile feels a little better about the affair with Valmont after the Marquise's letter.
• She still feels tormented about Danceny, but has to admit that Valmont is pleasant and sometimes makes her forget about Danceny.
• She'll be going to his room from now on.
• A little confused, Cécile asks if she misunderstood the Marquise earlier when, at the opera, she told her that once married she could love no one other. Now, it seems that she's telling her she can have both a husband and a lover.
• Valmont has been telling her bad things about her mother.
• She'll lie to her mother if she has to.

Well spotted @CornishLizard about the eyes down comment! I think you are right.

Letter 106: The Marquise de Merteuil to the Vicomte de Valmont

• The Marquise is obviously pleased with the Vicomte's seduction of Cécile.
• Having instructed the girl to give herself more to Valmont, she encourages Valmont to keep at it and push the sexual boundaries even more.
• The Marquise ridicules Valmont for not having forced himself on Tourvel when she obviously was ready for it.
• She thinks that between the two of them, they can make Cécile the shame of her mother and Gercourt.
• Note that Merteuil has taken a risk with her letter to Cécile—it incriminates her.

Yes to both your comments Tara and Cornish! She is an evil wagon, ruining Cécile's chance of happiness. To think that Mme Volanges was so close to considering a marriage between Cécile and Danceny but for Merteuil's interference and malign influence. Her comments to Cécile are truly awful.

This is a pretty evil letter! Telling Cécile that her mum will lock her up if she admits to being in love with Danceny!
And doesn’t MdM give herself away with saying that Cécile kept her eyes down? She knows that from Valmont?

Poor Cecile. Imagine receiving that letter from the person you confided in

Letter 105: The Marquise de Merteuil to Cécile de Volanges

• In a totally mean-spirited letter dripping with sarcasm, the Marquise accuses Cécile of acting like a child.
• She comforts the girl that not all men are like Valmont.
• Then she suggests that Cécile liked the experience more than she's willing to admit. Otherwise, why wouldn't have resisted as much as she thought she should?
• She tries to convince her that the best way to keep her virtue with Danceny, her true love, is to keep busy with another man.
• Next she counsels her to make friends with Valmont by making advances on him. After all, he's well-placed in society and could help out her prospects.
• She warns Cécile not to let her other trick her into admitting her love for Danceny.
• And PS, she shouldn't write everything she feels in her letters. She needs to play harder to get with Danceny.

Really happy to see the thread carrying on! Thank you everyone! I’m behind (again) 🙄 but am planning on catching up tonight when I get home from my mini break in Manchester.

I thought Mme Rosamonde would have been against Tourvel falling in love with another man and counselled her against it. It seems strange to me. They sound like a pair of teenagers!

Yes - I was also surprised by the comment about succumbing.

I was surprised by Madam Rosemonde’s permissive attitude - God forbid you have the misfortune to succumb, but if you do, at least you know you tried to hold out.

I think I’d like MdM’s ridiculously contrived slur on Danceny as my epitaph - ‘kept good company solely because she could afford nothing else’. As though Danceny would have joined the Bullingdon Club if money were no object but was instead reduced to giving music lessons.

Just posting a couple more Shmoop summaries:

Letter 103: Madame de Rosemonde to the Présidente de Tourvel

• Madame de Rosemonde isn't surprised at the reason for Tourvel's departure.
• She reassures her that she knows who the man is, even if Tourvel never mentioned his name.
• She tries to comfort her by observing that, even if Tourvel succumbs to temptation, she'll still have fought with all her might.
• She will gladly look upon Tourvel as her daughter.
• Before she signs off, she lets it slip that "he" seemed very sad about Tourvel's sudden departure.

Letter 104: The Marquise de Merteuil to Madame Volanges

• The Marquise thanks Madame de Volanges for her trust.
• She counsels her that Gercourt would make the better match for her daughter, having better prospects in life.
• She understands that Madame's maternal instincts make her want only her daughter's happiness.
• But passion, she says, comes and goes and shouldn't be trusted where marriage is concerned.
• Marriage is about mutual sacrifice, not the illusions of love.
• And Gercourt is a wealthy man; money doesn't guarantee happiness, but it makes it easier.
• And what if later in life, Cécile would wish her mother had been more firm in her insistence on a more settled and wealthy husband?
• She says that too many young women are so infatuated that they can't see their lover's flaws.
• When the infatuation wears off, everyone's miserable.
• She leaves it to Madame to decide, however.

Place-marking on the thread.
Saying hi to @BishyBarnyBee as we haven't heard from you since your cycling trip. Hope all is okay Bishy.

I think we're on letter 108 today.
La Présidente is in a bad way obsessing over Valmont. She has taken it all upon herself. Her unhappiness is her fault and Valmont is blameless as he is a good and kind person. (Yikes!) What has happened to her? She seems to have lost all perspective.

Hello all! Just caught up with the book and the thread. Valmont is utterly revolting isn’t he - the rape and then his description of Cécile as ‘a child who should be treated as such’. And does he really say to MdM that as he’s going to be shagging MdT on the morrow he’ll be over for a quickie soon to celebrate? What a romantic. Then he’s back to stalking MdT. I do hope he gets his just desserts.

I was surprised by MdT’s letter to Madame de Rosemonde, how open she was (even though she does withhold the name!).