“ Sorry for the long response!”

No apologies necessary! This is fascinating stuff, and I’m very invested in this now because of you lol!

“I strongly believed these expectations and a few other things doomed Mary and Robert in a way that was shameful on behalf of the American “elite,” meaning the people in the press and in politics who knew the details of the situation.”

Looking at the situation in the way you framed it, that conclusion makes a lot of sense. To me, it was disappointing to see how much distance there was between Robert and Mary. I expected more from her only remaining child. At the same time, keeping himself out of her affairs as much as possible probably did make life a little less complicated for the both of them. And if they were both being played by the “elites” you referenced, it would seem that there’s little Robert could have done to try and improve Mary’s situation without inviting further (negative) attention from the press.

“ I think the fall was made up and I don’t know why. This has thrown off my book, when I realized it, because it is significant and I can’t just pass it by.”

The diabetes theory is a good one! I’ve been combing through my own head for my own ideas about it, but can’t come up with anything that fits better than diabetes. I have seen it untreated when I worked at a shelter, so I understand why your mind went there.

I’m really quite anxious to see where this all leads now. And I have so many questions! But I’ll save those for after I get through the rest of your work. Take care, and thank you for responding! Hope you had an awesome weekend!