Scandalous Risks Part II

Venetia has 3 older sisters, all of whom are married and 2 brothers who regard her as a rather plain girl, who is inclined to talk about philosophy at dinner parties. It being the '60's, the only jobs available for girls are secretarial jobs. Venetia cannot find anything that she really wants to do, and has rows with her parents over her doing nothing. She is fond of Neville, because he treats her seriously, and seems fond of her, but she thinks of him as an uncle as he is more than 30 years her senior. Primrose works in Starbridge in the Archdeacon's office, and although she is not a great success with men, she seems contented with her life. She is clever and a good organiser, and does well in her job. Venetia gets irked because the only man who seems interested in her is Canon Edward Hoffenberg, who was a German POW and who lost all his family in the war. He is clever but not very attractive and prone to gloomy bouts and to hypochondria. Venetia thinks him a crashing bore. He met Neville when Aysgarth was ministering to the POWs in the war. He took an interest in Edward, and helped him to get to college and train as a clergyman, and he elected to stay in England. Venetia can't understand why Neville gets on so well with him. In 1963, she is 26 and gets fed up with her father lecturing her, and leaves home... which had always been too comfortable to her. She goes to Starbridge.. where Charles Ashworth is now the Bishop. Lyle, who has 2 sons, takes an interest in her and persuades her to make a renewed effort to have a more exciting life. She buys some new clothes and gets a flat. Charles offers her a job as his part time secretary, to type up his academic works. She begins to find Primrose a bit dull, and makes a new friend, society beauty Marina Markhampton, who is popular with all the young men of their set. She is beginning to feel that her life is getting to be more fun, and then she realises that she is in love with Neville. He rescues her at a party where she is pursued by Edward, and she cries on his shoulder. She does not want to be unkind to Eddie, but it depresses her that only Eddie seems to be interested in her. Neville tells her that he cares for her and admires her, and they realise that they are falling in love. Neville has had romantic flirty friendships before, as a break from his difficult marriage but he has always managed to keep them at a safe level. Dido has always claimed to be generous and tolerant of her husband's friendship with young women, but in truth she is still jealous. She is not a very happy person, and her step children can't stand her. Venetia is inexperienced in romantic relationships but she knows that this friendship must remain utterly secret for Neville's career's sake. He tells her that they must not discuss Dido, and they agree to having a weekly meeting on his day off, going off in his car. She enjoys this at first, they talk about all sorts of things. She is also happy to share a flat with Marina. Marina tells her that she is not interested in the men who chase her, because she is in love with a married man, but she is happy with a sexless warm friendship.