Mavis was fed up with her life.
She had decided that. The only good part of it was Burt and he was a waste of
space really.
She thought about him as she
swept the floor of the Dog & Pony, starting the preparations for the
punters later.
He wasn’t bad looking and he was
hung like a stallion, and he was more strapping than any other bloke in the
village, but really he had no prospects and nothing going on upstairs. It was
well known how thick he was. He could barely carry on a conversation if it
wasn’t about mucking out horses and doing labouring. He was thick as a brick. She
wanted more out of life.
Mavis wanted some rich gentleman
to take notice of her and whisk her away. Her conversation with Burt the day
before had got her thinking about that. It wasn’t that Burt was no good. He was
probably the best she was likely to get. But where would she be in ten years?
Or twenty? Married to that dimwit with half a dozen kids round her feet?
And life now was hardly grand.
Clean the pub. Serve the beer. Clean the pub. Serve the beer. It could be good
fun of an evening from time to time but it wasn’t going anywhere fast and her
looks wouldn’t last forever.
But what other option did she
have?
None.
Out the corner of her eye she
spotted Burt through the front window, walking back toward the hall carrying a
box full of shop-bought items. She went to go to the door and call out to him
but the imperative wasn’t there. She let him pass unhindered. What was the
point? He’d be in here later for drinking most likely and she could shag him
afterwards. There was no hurry. She wasn’t going anywhere.
She went on sweeping instead,
scowling to herself then looked up with a start when the door swung open.
She started to smile but when
she saw it was that snooty Gladys from up at the hall she scowled instead.
“What does you want?”
“I’m ere to fetch thee up
t’t’hall,” said Gladys. “Lady Ann wants to speak with ye right away.”
Mavis frowned. “What about?”
“Never you mind what about. She
wants you to come now. It’s a proposition of some kind if ye must know. She
wants you to do something for er and she’s willin’ to pay; but it’s got to be
on the quiet. She said so.”
Mavis sneered but she was
certainly intrigued. “I saw er meself not an hour or two ago. Why didn’t she
ask me then if it’s so important?”
“That’s nobody’s business but er
ladyship’s,” replied Gladys. “Now urry up. I’m to take you back with me.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
Mavis looked toward the back of
the pub. “’Ang on.” She walked to the door leading upstairs and bellowed, “Ere,
Pa!”
Her father sounded testy when he
shouted back. “What do ye want now? Is that sweepin’ done?”
“I’ve been called oop t’t’all! I
aveta go now!”
“What fur?”
“I dunno! What do you care what
for?”
“You watch your tongue our lass
or ye’ll know what fur. You ain’t too old to be set across my knee!”
She turned back into the room,
muttering, “Ah get thee gone ye old slap’ead.”
She returned to Gladys. “Alright
then. Let’s ave it. The sooner we get oop there, the sooner I can get back down
ere to slog me ‘eart out.”
Wasn't Gladys supposed to take her to the cottage?
ReplyDeleteYes she was
ReplyDeleteRob
As opposed to the cottage? From Gladys's perspective they can be referred to as the same place.
DeleteSame way I might say I'm going to London when I'm actually going to Hounslow.
Fair enough
DeleteI suspect that if New Ann could hear what Mavis was thinking she'd be real nervous, she still do it though :)
ReplyDeleteHeh heh. I bet you're right!
DeleteDad sounds a little controlling, I wonder if that will be relevant later on?...
ReplyDeleteYeah. Well there was that scene in LA1 where he threatened Burt. At the time I was foreshadowing the more detailed version of Eric's original epilogue that I was still planning to stick to.
DeleteThat isn't going to happen now (I'm far too fond of Burt!) but I think you're right. That testy side to him might end up affecting "Burt" one way or another after all!
or even "Mavis" I wouldn't have thought or her as Daddy's little girl, but than again...
DeleteExactly!
DeleteOne thing missing for the story is the the wide spread use of Drugs at the time.
ReplyDeleteIt was common after a days hard labour to have a pint of ale with a lump of opium in it for working men.
Fashionable young ladies took Cocaine at the Opera to stop them falling a sleep and to deal with the boredom of their lives.
Babies were given opium to stop them from crying.
In the years after 1908 this was all to change and drugs were banned or limited.
"There was a time when mothers gave their babies opium, people bought hallucinogens at the local bar, and anxious patriots sent hypodermic needles and cocaine to soldiers as a present. It was called The Great Binge, and it's probably wrong to feel sad that it's over.
Today we have Bayer Aspirin. It relieves headaches. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, they had Bayer Heroin. It was most often a cough syrup, though it probably took care of headaches as well. Heroin was not a slang term developed for a drug, but an actual brand name claimed by the drug company. (They have since allowed their proprietary claim on the name to lapse.) This, and many other drugs were used for everyday maladies like dry throats, menstrual cramps, and babies who cried too long. The period between 1870 and 1918 was called The Great Binge — and people shoved everything into their bodies that they could."
http://io9.com/5896669/when-opium-was-for-newborns-and-bayer-sold-heroin
Hm. That's really interesting.
DeleteIt isn't something that I think would fit neatly into the millieu I'm creating but it's fascinating to know. Thanks.
You maybe you are right you could get lost in details of the time.
DeleteLike all the TB other infectious diseases at the time.
Every big house at the time would have had heated glass house with orange , grapes. pineapples etc to show of their wealth and you could not buy these fruits in the shops.
head gardener would have been a every import member of the staff and got to were a hat while everyone below him wore caps.
The house would also have had a game keeper and pheasant and maybe deer another game on the menu.
Shooting and fishing would have been major pastimes for the quality..
The gently would of course be looking down their noses at the new factory owner who now hove more money than them due to their low birth.
They would see it as an unwelcome change as all the wrong sort of people are becoming rich.
As far as I know Ann might not be able to inherit her fathers money and land it might have to go to the nearest male in the family.
yes and no, family alliances between the aristocracy and industrialist was quite common, new money loves old money and vice versa, but bear in mind. Richard is described as being a noble man so he could be seen as a reassertion of the "natural order"
DeleteYeah, Richard is definitely a titled lord. He's Lord Hurley. He's just a shrewd businessman who has used his inheritance and turned it into a a thriving business.
DeleteHmmm. Again, all good points... which might not apply to every rich family. In this case, the Neville family have different views on those matters that suit the story that is developing.
ReplyDeleteLike I often say, I am only revealing the story. The characters act in the way that they choose to act, sometimes contrary to my plans and sometimes contrary to common practices in other parts of the country.
Whether it's a cool body swap story is my top concern.
As you say the body swap is the main part of the story.
ReplyDeleteThe historic background are just details that add colour to the story.
In some ways the way the landed gently behave is not unlike the Plantation owners of the antebellum southern states.
I guess it's a tricky balance. Story and characters must come first and there are dozens of costume dramas that don't explore those themes either.
Delete(Shrugs)
I agree that the story is the thing. Burt wouldn't be sent to buy supplies, these would be ordered from the store and delivered by a shop boy. More significantly how come Mavis and previous sexual partners did not fall pregnant?
ReplyDeleteBecause we don't want the story to be cluttered do we? And if the characters are placed in a slightly less than realistic situation in order to help the story along, then I'm all for it.
Carry on regardless Ms Finn.
Finntasia x
Yeah. I have wrestled with the pregnancy issue, however both situations aren't cut and dried. It is possible Burt would be sent and that the girls wouldn't fall pregnant. And as you say, it helps the flow of the story.
ReplyDeleteIf it makes people feel better, I do worry about realism and do try to keep to it, but it comes second place if push comes to shove.
two fold: we see Burt carrying the items that doesn't mean he was trusted to pick them. it could be a routine order that is heavy and he was sent to collect a prepared bundle.
ReplyDeletefrom the the very first day of the first transformation is only a little more than one month, even if they are all pregnant, we wouldn't know it yet.
That's a good point actually. I should have a twist in Lady Ann's Revenge where all these pregnant women turn up!
DeleteAfter all, he's a human bull.
DeleteYeah!
Deletethat should be his fight name, "in this corner Burt the Bull!" :)
DeleteThey've always said he was well-hung...
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteyes he is a true priest of Priapus. they could call him the Minotaur, because he has the body of a man and the...head of a bull?
Delete(Shrill giggle)
Deleteit also occurs to me, that Ann would be familiar with the Minotaur and might find it a funny mental/private joke now, but as she because Mavis she won't get it after all there is nothing "mini" about Burt!
Deletebecomes, not because (stupid phone autocorrect)
Delete(Grins)
Delete