Nancy Mitford V

The Alconleighs are upset by his running away, though Uncle Matthew is not too angry about it, as he admires him for being active at something, especially for fighting. Linda has become an ardent Communist, and supports Christian's beliefs. Polly's baby is due, and when the child is born, it dies almost immediately. Fanny goes to see her and finds that she seems indifferent about the baby's death. Cedric and Lady Montdore come to visit and patch up the quarrel. Lady Montdore and Polly seem to get over their estrangement fairly easily. Fanny realises that Boy is very pleased to be friendly with Lady Montdore again. She can also see that Cedric is taking an interest in this new friend. Lady Montdore seems to be a little in love with Cedric herself but she is not aware of his true sexuality, and does not understand about the young men he gives jobs to at Hampton. In spite of getting on again with her mother, Polly has by now moved on, and has become friendly with the Duke of Paddington. His ancestor is the subject of Boy's latest book.. He is an older man, and soon he falls in love with Polly... So she leaves Boy to marry him while Cedric takes up with Boy. We learn in another Mitford book that Polly loses her looks but has several children and is happy.. and that Lady Montdore dies just before the war. She had been persuaded by Cedric to have plastic surgery. He becomes the Earl, but goes abroad when the war breaks out, which annoys the local gentry. But he is not naturally soldier material. After the War, he permanently left England and settled in a sunny part of the world. Linda's husband Christian decides to go to France, to work with Spanish refugees and Linda joins him. When she gets there, she does her best to do welfare work. She meets Lavender Davis, her old neighbour at home, who is now a welfare worker. Soon she realises that Christian has fallen out of love with her and is now closer to Lavender..... She leaves the South of France, leaving a letter for her husband, and goes back to Paris, but her ticket is out of date and she cannot get back to England. While she is sitting at the station, crying, she meets a middle aged, well dressed Frenchman who speaks English, and he takes her to lunch. He tells her that his name is Fabrice and that he is a duke, and well off.