The Maker and His Convert

The Radleys

This thread traces Helen Radley’s bond with Will Radley from their 1992 conversion and affair to her failed attempt to end their attachment and the final confrontation.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

A Meeting of Minds A Meeting of Minds from "The Radleys". A Meeting of Minds Attraction and Recognition Will Radley meets Helen through his brother Peter and is drawn to her intelligence, humor, and interest in art.

A Meeting of Minds from "The Radleys". A Meeting of Minds Attraction and Recognition Will Radley meets Helen through his brother Peter and is drawn to her intelligence, humor, and interest in art.

A Meeting of Minds Attraction and Recognition Will Radley meets Helen through his brother Peter and is drawn to her intelligence, humor, and interest in art. His desire grows beyond the uncomplicated appetite he prefers. A Dangerous Attachment Peter intends to marry and convert Helen, while Will resents their happiness. His jealousy makes the relationship a contest in which emotional intimacy becomes a source of danger.

Paris and Conversion Paris and Conversion from "The Radleys". Paris and Conversion A Stolen Night Will uses blood-minding to persuade Helen to leave with him for Paris, despite her love for Peter.

Paris and Conversion from "The Radleys". Paris and Conversion A Stolen Night Will uses blood-minding to persuade Helen to leave with him for Paris, despite her love for Peter.

Paris and Conversion A Stolen Night Will uses blood-minding to persuade Helen to leave with him for Paris, despite her love for Peter. The night brings flight, desire, and a conversion that permanently binds them. The Long Consequence Helen returns to a life with Peter, but the emotional bond with Will remains. The relationship becomes a secret at the foundation of the family’s history.

A Long Silence A Long Silence from "The Radleys". A Long Silence A Final Letter Helen writes to Will that she intends to stop sending photographs of Rowan.

A Long Silence from "The Radleys". A Long Silence A Final Letter Helen writes to Will that she intends to stop sending photographs of Rowan.

A Long Silence A Final Letter Helen writes to Will that she intends to stop sending photographs of Rowan. She wants to protect her children and recover a more ordinary life. Separation Without Release The letter asks Will not to visit, yet it cannot undo the connection between maker and convert. The years of silence preserve the family’s secrecy without settling their past.

A Threatened Return A Threatened Return from "The Radleys". A Threatened Return The Past Reappears Will’s return to the Radley home forces Helen to face both her attachment and her anger.

A Threatened Return from "The Radleys". A Threatened Return The Past Reappears Will’s return to the Radley home forces Helen to face both her attachment and her anger.

A Threatened Return The Past Reappears Will’s return to the Radley home forces Helen to face both her attachment and her anger. He invokes their Paris memories and implies that Peter does not know the full truth. Desire and Fear Entwined Helen resents Will for disrupting her family, but the old bond remains physically powerful. Her conflicting response makes his presence a threat even when he appears to be helping.

The Failed Knife The Failed Knife from "The Radleys". The Failed Knife An Impossible Demand Helen accepts Alison Glenny’s demand that she kill Will, then cannot carry out the act while he is close to her.

The Failed Knife from "The Radleys". The Failed Knife An Impossible Demand Helen accepts Alison Glenny’s demand that she kill Will, then cannot carry out the act while he is close to her.

The Failed Knife An Impossible Demand Helen accepts Alison Glenny’s demand that she kill Will, then cannot carry out the act while he is close to her. Their blood exchange revives desire and overwhelms her resolve. The Bond’s Final Test Will leaves wounded by Helen’s betrayal and by her inability to choose him openly. Their relationship ends only when he later turns his violence toward the family and Rowan kills him.

Before 13 March 1992

13 March 1992

September 1998

Saturday afternoon

Monday afternoon