Another re-issued RC book. Caroline is a spinster who's bringing up her half(?)-siblings, who are a good deal younger than herself - especially Fay. Although Caroline seems to behave in a way that is self-sacrificing and noble, she is in fact very controlling, but her behaviour is such that the younger children don't feel able to criticise, and so they end up blaming themselves for any time that Caroline gets cross.

Notes I made

• She talks about an ormolu clock (I think there was an ormolu something in another of her books) so I had to look up what the word meant
• I liked this: He was rather scared of unmarried women, especially those who were "getting on" and might be supposed to have matrimonial designs on him for want of anyone younger. He'd once been asked his intentions by a Victorian parent, and he'd never quite got over the shock - this was a convincing portrayal of a man who's happy to flirt but doesn't want to things to go too far
• [Fay] refused all Sybil's invitations to tea on the score of work. Sybil smiled and said, "I'm not going to take offence. I'm far too fond of you for that. I'll just go on asking you till you do come" - ah, that's nice! But - later on in the book: Sybil had tired at last of giving invitations, only to have them refused. "I like you, Fay, she had said, "and I'm always here if you want me, but - " she shrugged and left the sentence unfinished.
• When a family friend takes Fay to a concert and talks to her about it - Caroline had seemed so wise in her decision that Fay must give up all interests that might interfere with her career. But - surely music itself should have been her career ... In the interval of the concert she had talked to him with an enthusiasm that had amazed him. She was transfigured - a Fay he had never seen before. - I so much wanted things to work out for Fay so she can do her music!
• Robert and Effie were away, too. Effie had engaged a nurse to look after the children, and she and Robert had gone to the Lakes for a holiday together - this dates the book I think: there's no suggestion that it's at all strange that parents would go off on holiday without their children!

As the book progressed, the people Caroline had been unpleasant too started to prosper in any case, and I found myself thinking "I don't mind it if all ends horribly for Caroline". But it did end happily, and I ended up feeling sorry/relieved for her.

I think it shows the power of Crompton's writing that it made me feel so strongly and, writing up these notes now, a year after finishing "Caroline", I wonder why I'm not reading loads more RM books. I've not had a duff one yet.

Completed : 15-Jan-2018