Diana Part II

When his wife is killed John has joined SOE. He speaks good French and learns how to kill and how to survive undercover in France. Then to his amazement, Diana turns up again. She is still living in France. She tells him that she is being asked to persuade him to take part in a Resistance attack. She is married to a wealthy industrialist, who has been collaborating in France for years. He believes in fascism as it means that he can make more money under a fascist government. SOE wants to get into his factory to get hold of some documents. Diana works for them, but she would need help with this difficult task. Jan does not want to undertake it. He does not know whether he loves or hates Diana. When she comes to see him, he can see that she is in a highly nervous state and he's not sure she is up to undercover work.

Johnny and the Four - short dark humour Story by Benedict Brooke

Johnny Davies was only short when they told him the story. About the four men who had lived next door. But then you’re not that tall at only two. Anyway, one day, Johnny was crossing the road and one of the men, the tall thin one, offered to help him to cross. How they got out of the way of that truck, I’ll never know. Funny guy. Funny peculiar- that is, dressed a bit like a monk. You know, long black habit, cowl, guess he was a gardener or some such with that scythe he carried. Do you remember the riot? Johnny does, when those five guys started up on the black family next door, (on the left hand side, not on the right hand side where the four guys were). Before you knew it, Combat 18, NF, the Anti-Nazi League and a representative of the Monster Raving Loony party, who had gotten lost while canvassing, all turned up with knives, skewers, corkscrews and whatever other implements they had managed to borrow from the other 4 guys next door. Do you remember how the police turned up? After the majority of the crowd had dispersed, and they arrested anyone remaining, bleeding or drunk (apart from the off duty officer of course.). Johnny meanwhile, looking aghast from the window, was moved to throw on his dressing gown and shove his feet into slippers and bugger off down the road, to a safe distance, to absorb events. The gentleman standing beside him in the gawking throng was smiling at this time, although Johnny, in his combination of shock, amazement and excitement, didn’t notice this. Anyway, Johnny grew older, as unfortunately and inevitably one does. He didn’t move. His parents were victims of a car crash when he was eighteen, when he was of an age, to take charge of the house. By this age, Johnny had a problem with his weight. Despite incipient anorexia and the earnest but terrible cooking of his mother, (in earlier years obviously... even I’m not stupid enough to confuse my continuity that much)… no matter how little he ate, he steadily piled on the pounds. So that at the age of 20, he realised that the only career he could embark on was that of professional wrestler. Fortunately, one of the gentlemen next door came to visit dear old Johnny. This neighbour was the pale rather slim one -with the ash blond hair and albino eyes. This gentleman suggested a high- quality though rather unnerving diet. Anyway, luckily for Johnny -he was never brought to book for his – ahem –cannibalistic crimes. Though he was rather foolish in that he used the same cab firm each time. But the desired effect was achieved. Johnny soon became a fine figure of a man (albeit rather short). So his thoughts began to run to courting. Joanna was tall, fair and graceful. Johnny met her at the Jim. He had intended to go and work-out, but was unfortunately dyslexic and had in fact walked into a bar. He managed somehow to work his way into her favour, and after the obligatory “coffee”, her knickers. Indeed, with the very marriage arranged and a stag night in view, Johnny was left, as one is, deciding whom to invite to the “almighty piss up”. But he had few friends, more like “acquaintances”, due to his earlier more unsociable activities. So Johnny thought it might be appropriate to invite the four men next door (Although he was very insecure concerning their ménage a quartre). Anyway, a jolly old evening was had by all, apart from the barman who experienced an attack of scrofula, and the knife fight about whose pint was whose? Johnny hadn’t realised that the Farmers Arms was a gay pub, and what with all the pub grub being out of date, and the old guy at the corner table being found dead, when everyone thought that he was just taking his time over his pint. Mind you, the tall skinny man was winning at pool. And when Johnny got home (he’d invited them all in for a drink) there was the message on his voicemail, from the hospital. Joanna was critically ill with pneumonia, pleurisy, and something that they’ve only just discovered and hadn’t given a name to, yet. (They were sure they’d be able to think of something in time for the TV news.) "Oh and she's dead,” they added. “Never mind, better luck next time?” However Johnny remained single, and heartbroken. Mourning his lost love, until, some 10 years later, all four chaps who lived next door, (who had been his emotional and physical crutch), popped up on the doorstep. “Hello Johnny” they said, in an affable manner. “We’ve come to cheer you up.” And give you a good haircut,” remarked the stocky one... although not in a way that anyone could hear clearly. “Anyway” the thin one said, affixing a tourniquet on his upper arm as they all sat at Johnny’s kitchen table, "Anyway,” he reiterated, “We think – that is we collectively –“ “Hold on -” the deep voice of the tall one said, “Who the fuck’s in charge here?” “Just get the fucking clippers” the stocky one replied. Johnny, proud of his lush and flowing locks (and the fact that he hadn’t had to pay for a haircut in 11 years), was taken aback at this. However, when held down by Mr Skinny, Mr Pale and with his head held firmly in place by the muscular forearms of Mr Stocky, he resigned himself to the robust attentions of Mr Grim (I think you’ve all guessed it by now!). Time passed – as it does – and here we find Johnny sitting bemused and shorn, upon his kitchen floor. Rubbing his shaven and rather itchy denuded head. He is heard to mutter to himself, “That fucking tattoo, what does it mean anyway? And what did he mean by that?” For as the tall one had left, tattooing equipment still in hand, he had said softly, smiling. “You’re ready now Johnny, you’re ready.” Mind you, with a face like that, there’s not much you can do but smile. And why, as the sign was engraved on his head, and he had yelled “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” had the pale one replied “How apt, how apt.” Three years later, at the age of 33, Johnny was elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The rest will be history, (Or Prophecy depending on how you look at it.).

Blondes by Benedict Brooke

Blondes have more fun Brunettes have the brains At least that’s what they say In fact, that ain’t true Blondes just think that they do! And what do they know, anyway?

Emily A Story of the Brontes Part V

"Tabby, do you know a young man of about 25 or so? He was at Ponden and borrowing books. He wore a brown suit". "Eee I don't know, Miss Emily." Emily went on to describe the young man. Tabby wondered why the girl could not simply ask the man's name but she knew how unsociable Emily was. "I'll ask t'family. They knaw everyone in t' village. Sounds as if he is some kind of studying chap, eh?" "I dont know, except that he seemed familiar with the library." A couple of days later, Tabitha had spoken to her relatives and found out the boy's name. "It's Mark Paulet, seemingly, Miss Em'ly. He come here a while ago. His father is a manager in one of t'mills. He's a clever chap, and they say he went to college."

Diana by RF Delderfield

This is not one of Delderfield's better works but I've enjoyed reading it some time ago. There were originally 2 novels which were combined into the one work "Diana". The hero of the book is John (Jan) Leigh, who lives in a small seaside town in Devon in the 1920s and 30s. He lived in London as a small child but his mother died and he was taken into the care of his maternal uncles, Reuben, Mark and Luke. They are all simple west country people who lead a quiet life and work hard. Luke has a small shop, Reuben is a bit of a left wing activist and Mark has a small farm and riding school. John's father was a drunk and left his family badly off. The uncles take John in when his mother has died, and offer him chances to take over their businesses when he's grown up. He loves Devon.. He meets Diana Gaylorde Sutton in his early teens. She is the daughter of a wealthy businessman who has an estate down there, and her mother spends most of her time in London, engaging in social activities. She is a hard selfish woman, and Diana continually plays truant. She is educated by a governess. When she meets Jan, they become friends and playmates.. enjoying the countryside and having fun. As he grows older, Jan begins to fall in love with her. But he's aware that he is a poor boy without many prospects and she is a very rich heiress. Mrs Sutton gets angry at the way her daughter is behaving and begins to worry that Diana may end up losing her virginity to this country boy. Jan goes to school and has some talent for writing. He then manages to get a job on a small newspaper. Diana comes out and is a very popular deb. She smuggles Jan up to her bedroom on the night of her coming out dance, and they make love. But Jan comes to realise that although Diana claims to be in love with him, she is totally selfish and really she is just using him to rebel against her mother. She admits that she does not think she could in real life marry someone who was not rich. She goes back to London and to her society life, but after a while, she gets into trouble and John has to help her out. She was driving drunk and crashed a car and someone died, and she feels guilty. John still cares for her, but they can't agree about whether they can find a way of living togehter. He wants to be independent, perhaps run a farm or riding school. Diana can't see herself married to a working man. Then, her father loses a lot of his money and commits suicide. Diana vanishes, and when Jan goes looking for her, her mother tells him that her daughter could not face being poor and has married a French upper class man, whom she has known for some time, and gone away with him. War breaks out and Jan joins SOE. He marries a girl called Alison, out of loneliness. But she is killed in an air raid. Then at Dunkirk, when Jan is trying to get back to England, he meets Diana in the crowd of French refugees. She has some children that she wants to send to the UK, and once she sees him, she relies on him to help.

Cynthia Asquith Spring House

Lady Cynthia Asquith (born Cynthia Mary Evelyn Charteris) was the daughter of the Earl of Wemyss, a Tory peer. Her mother was also an upper class lady belonging to a society set, called the "Souls" who were interested in intellectual and aristic matters. She married Herbert Asquith, son of the Liberal Prime Minister, a few years before World War One. He was a barrister but he wanted to be a poet, and the young couple did not have much money. Cynthia was interested in literature and the arts, though she also enjoyed a typical upper class social life. When she realised that she and Herbert (Beb) were going to be short of money, she decided that she had to be the bread winner, although she was not brought up to work. So she took to writing and also got a job as a part time secretary to JM Barrie. She wrote biographies of the Royal Family, memoirs about the upper class life before the War, a biography of Sonia Tolstoy, and some fiction. She also wrote ghost stories. However, now she is most famous for her Diaries of life in England during World War One, from 1915 to 1918, which were published in the 1960s. In the 1930's she wrote a novel, "The Spring House". I hope to blog about it soon. Her heroine is called Miranda, and the novel is based loosely on her own life during the War. During that time, Cynthia was living what she called a "cuckoo" life, renting out her house and living with relatives and friends. Her husband was away at War, and she by then had 2 small children. The book starts with Miranda staying with her mother, together with her small son Patrick. Her husband is abroad and advises her to stay in England because of fears of submarine attacks. Miranda feels a bit useless and wants to do some war work but she is not sure what she can do. She is accustomed to a leisurely social type of life... Her 2 brothers have joined up and she misses them. More will follow.

House of Mirth I

Wharton wrote a lot as a girl but she did not publish a novel until she was around 40. Her marriage ended and she spent most of her time in France, rather than the USA. She involved herself in war work during her life in France, and wrote about it. One of her best known novels is "House of Mirth". Like most of her work it is set in the US, in "Old New York".. ie among the moneyed well bred aristocracy of the East Coast. Her heroine, Lily Bart is from a well born family but her father comes home one day and tells his wife and daughter that they are ruined. He has lost all his money. He fades away and dies, ashamed. Mrs Bart is angry and upset that her husband has let her down, and left her poor. She dies, leaving Lily to the care of relatives who are not really pleased to have a young woman foisted on them. Lily moves from staying with one relative or friend and another, and feels that she has to play along with these people to have a home of sorts. She gambles a lot and sometimes wins but it's not a steady income. She tries to find a husband but never seems to find the right man, who would be agreeable to her and rich enough to keep her. At the beginning of the book, she is 29 and getting dangerously close to spinsterhood.