Georgina Morley

He existed, and so did she, and she had perhaps 60 years left to put up with it, although her father died at 56.

She was in love, as she quite saw, with a middle-aged man who said the same thing to all the girls, who had been a prince for an evening which he had most likely forgotten already, who had given her a ring with a red current in it, and who cared, to the exclusion of all else, for his worth.

As a result, it was generally understood, Mrs. Brooks had left him, and the thought of his loneliness made her heart contract, as though squeezed by a giant hand.

but then you couldn't really pretend that he was lonely, and so Annie didn't pretend.

This, of course, meant that she suffered twice, and she failed to reckon the extra cost of honesty.

Isn't that great?

That's quite Fitzgerald-y.

It is, isn't it?

It's that nailing.

And she had grandchildren.

Right the way through to the later novels too, because that's wonderful bit in Gate of Angels when...

Daisy is revealed to be not what Frank was hoping her to be.

And, you know, she is not the sort of girl you marry.

Yes.

It's made very clear and very plain and everyone should read it.

It's the most wonderful novel.

But it's all very delicately done.

It's a toss-up, Gate of Angels or Beginning of Spring.

You love Gate of Angels.

I love them both.