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Question about Emma's Husbands (Spoilers)


Near the beginning of the story, I recall Paula saying to her Grandmother, Emma 'But you've had several yourself, Grandy' in regard to husbands.

Emma replied 'Yes, but they didn't get younger as I got older!'.

In fact Emma Harte only had two husbands right?

Edwin did not stand by her, she turned down Blackie's offer of marriage in the cinema and she also turned down David because of his Jewish religion causing complications with his family.

She married Joe Lowther out of necessity and to feel safe after Gerald Fairley assaulted her in the shop. After his death she met Paul McGill but couldn't marry him because his Catholic wife back in Australia refused to grant him a divorce. So she married Mr. Ainsley, her accountant.

She divorced him and picked up with paul again four years later. They had a child, Daisy together but never married.

I don't think she married again after that. So unless the book differs from the series, she did in fact only have two husbands.

There's 3 ways a man can wear his hair; front-parted, side-parted or departed

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We only know the younger emma's life until the "forgive me" bit when she's on the hill right after she got that letter from paul saying that he killed himself

She might have gotten married after that.

You're laborers, you're supposed to be laboring! That's what you get for not having an education!!

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Thanks for your reply. I guess this is possible but Daisy was grown up just before Paul's demise so I am figuring that not too many years could have past between Paul's death and the older Emma's story (well, not enough to see her have multiple husbands to justify the statement "Several").

I'm guessing it was just an innocent mistake and that Paula was meant to say "A few" or that by husbands she simply meant partners.


There's 3 ways a man can wear his hair; front-parted, side-parted or departed

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It's been year since I read the book, but I only remember two husbands. After Paul's death she had no interest in another relationship.

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Thank you, I watched it again recently with my partner and we both agree there were only ever two actual husbands. I know she later became engaged to Blackie in Hold The Dream but they never got the chance to marry either.

"Has anyone seen my wife?" - Columbo

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