Deepening Stream Part II

Matey and Adrian have a daughter Priscilla (called Petella) a year after their marriage and then a son. Matey's sister Priscilla comes to stay to see her new niece, and seems to settle into the dull but pleasant life of the Forts and their friends. She does not seem to be bothered that it is provincial and "small towny", now. She gets involved with Peter Russell, a neighbour in their town who is a very quiet dull shadowy man. His wife died leaving him with several small daughters who need a mother. Priscilla decides to marry him and look after the children, though it seems that she does not want sex or more children, but is happy to have a life taking care of Peter and his children. Matey is also happy with her life. Francis, their brother, has married. He and his wife have a baby daughter but the child dies a few days after birth and he is very upset. War breaks out in Europe, the First World War, and Matey hears news from her French and Belgian friends. She is horrified by the barbarity of war, in the 20th century and upsets herself a lot thinking about it. Adrian, though he has a Quaker background is very ambivalent. He starts to think that although he is too much of a Quaker to fight, he should on moral grounds get involved with the war and try to help the French. Francis tells him there's nothing he can do and that he should not neglect his own children when he cannot make a difference in Europe. But Matey is also upset and wants to do something to help. She and Adrian take their two small children and sail to France.

The Deepening Stream by Dorothy Canfield Fisher

This is a semi autobiographical novel by Fisher. The heroine is "Matey" (real name Penelope) Gilbert. She is the daughter of an American academic and his wife, who spend their lives moving around from one American university to another. They have a very unsettled life. She has a brother Francis and a sister Priscilla. She sees little of her other relatives, who mostly live in small communities in America and some of whom are Quakers. Her father periodically gets some time off and usually travels to France or somewhere in Europe to continue his studies.. and so Matey get a wider education than she would in the USA. Her parents dont seem to be very happily married and often quarrel and snipe at each other. It creates more tension in her home. In her teens, Matey's father takes ill suddenly and dies, and her mother is clearly very grieved. She then gets into religion, becoming a High Church Episcopalian. She slips away from her children and gets involved in an orphanage run by an Episopalian charity. Penelope feels a bit alienated from her own family and has no other close friends. She goes to college and begins to teach French, as does Priscilla. When she is in her early 20's, she learns that a distant relative "Aunt Connie" left her some money years ago and now it has grown to a reasonably large sum. She goes to meet the Forts, who are managing the money for her, and Adrian Fort, the son, who is a distant cousin, falls in love with her. Matey is unsure about love as she has not had much emotion in her own family but she begins to become attracted to him. They get engaged. Her brother and sister don't approve. They think the Forts are not rich or grand people and have a "small town" mentality. Priscilla suggests that she and Matey could live together. Francis, who is now a lawyer, is very snobbish about Adrian and also suggests that Matey should break off her engagment. But she decides to go on and marry Adrian, as she is growing to love him. They marry sooner than originally planned and go to Europe for a honeymoon. Adrian has spent some time studying art, in France but gave up because he recognised that he did not have much talent and decided to help run the family bank. But he likes visiting France and is pleased to meet the Vinets who were friends of Matey's when she visited Europe as a young girl. He and Matey are settling into married life.. and seem quite happy. More follows!

Roman Bride

I always wanted to write a "King Arthur" story, and so I wrote this one a few years ago. It is set in Camlann, King Arthur's fortress. It is the story of Flavia, a Roman lady, who is married off to Peredur, one of Arthur's men. They dont know each other, and they come from different cultures but they learn about each other and grow together. Flavia is worried because her new husband seems friendly with a British noblewoman, Angharhad, who seems hostile to her. But she learns to fit in at Arthur's court and to become a part of Camlann life. The story is available on Amazon.

Publishing

I've re published one of my novellas, set in Roman-Celtic Britain. I may re publish a few more, if I get some interest in them. I have a novella set in Edwardian England, and another in the Napoleonic wars. They are romances but I've tried to throw in a bit of history.

Roman Bride by Nadine Sutton

This is a short story which is available on Amazon. It's set in Romano Celtic Britain and has an Arthurian theme. It is about a love story between a British soldier who is part of Arthur's army.. and a Roman lady who marries him. I hope some of my readers will enjoy it.

Roman Bride

My story Roman Bride is available on Amazon. It is a romance of a British soldier, who follows the Emperor Arthur, and a Roman-British lady, who is given to him in marriage. Hope it will please some of my readers. https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=roman+bride+sutton&crid=2QXTW9CUTIRD9&sprefix=roman+bride+sutton%2Caps%2C205&ref=nb_sb_noss

Kitten Lady

Its kitten season and Hannah is looking after very tiny kittens, some of whom are premature. You can follow her on social media. Hannah's work involves fostering kittens, and encouraging people to take in kittens and to trap wild cats and have them spayed or neutered.. so that the population of feral kittens will go down. she also teaches classes in kitten care and looks after other animals - goats, pigs, dogs etc - that she has rescued.