SPOILERS!!!
The characters board the pullman which will take them to Calais.
Archie arrives at the station nervous and unsure. The people from the dating agency are there, and he meets her date, Emmie, a milliner, who sometimes dresses with her elegant hats as if she were from the 1920s. After keeping up the charade that he is a willing participant in this dating competition with the agency people, he decides he can’t lie to Emmie. So as soon as the train departs, he explains the truth to Emmie. The woman’s reaction is unexpected; she laughs and tells him that she is relieved. Her case was similar to Archie’s; it is her sister who inscribed her in the competition. Emmie has been stung before, and she tells Archie about Charlie, a boyfriend she met during the horse races. The problem is that Charlie was a gambler, and he broke her heart when he emptied her bank account and lost all her savings in bets. Now Emmie doesn’t want any more men, and the reason why she accepted the prize is because having no money she thought this was too good an opportunity to miss. I have the hunch that maybe their conviction that they don’t want a relationship might crumble when they get to know each other.
Riley, the photographer, who had the accident when he was in a taxi, had to spend two weeks in hospital, but although he injured his kidney, there was no damage. I thought that when he had the accident, he was on his way to the station, but actually, that was two weeks ago. Now that he is on his way to meet Sylvie, he has a clear intention: asking her to marry him. After so many years, that is so romantic, and I hope that Sylvie feels as strongly as Riley does. I would hate it if he gets disappointed.
As for Imogen, she doesn’t know yet, but Danny has gone after her, but he was late, and the train had already left London. Now he is on his way to Paris, where the train will stop next. In the meantime Imogen goes to Venice alone; I thought that Adele was going with her, but for some reason she is going on her own. I hope that Danny gets to her soon. He is quite sweet, and I loved the part about his memories and thoughts. We learn that Danny has been in love with Imogen since he was in school, but he always thought that she was too good for him. The time he spent in a correctional centre was a wake-up call; actually, he agreed to accept the blame because his brothers, who were the guilty part, would have had to shoulder a much more serious sentence. After his time at the correctional centre, he decided to lead an honest life, so he started working in security systems. For years he had a relationship with someone, and when she left, he decided to return to his home town. When he went into the gallery, he thought he could try his luck with Imogen, and he has felt very fortunate since then. Now as he tries to reach Paris and Imogen, he realises that he could lose her because he hasn’t been straightforward about his feelings. So this is his chance.
We also get to learn the past about Adele and Jack. The woman decides to go to the Savoy to meet him. Her excuse is that she has an idea to open an art gallery in William’s old surgery, and she wants some advice from Jack. They have lunch, talk, flirt, and drink. Then he takes her to a strange club where bohemian people meet, and they drink some more. Adele has to call William to say that she has to stay the night when she realises that it is too late for her to catch the last train. Then Jack takes her to his flat, and they end up in bed together.
The next morning she feels dirty and terrible, so she sneaks out and goes home. Jack doesn’t try to contact her, which is a relief but also a problem for her heart. Adele can’t stop thinking about Jack, and the only distraction is when she is busy, planning her art gallery. Then she goes to an auction, certain that Jack is there, and once again she falls in his arms and end up in bed again. We know that Jack and Adele eventually parted ways, and her stiff attitude towards him during the phone conversation shows that their affair didn’t end well. I am curious to know what exactly happened between them in the end.
As for Stephanie and Simon, we can see that the children are troubled. Beth is too close to her mother, and even though she knows that her mother is lacking as a parent and Stephanie is a good person, she is struggling with the thought that there is no hope for her parents to get back together. Jamie, her brother, seems to be a nice boy, but he also has a secret, but we don’t know what he is hiding.
Interesting stories. I am really enjoying the book.
Advertisements Share this:
