Page 69 of The Bordeaux Book Club
He looked at her and put his hand on hers. ‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘Got a bit carried away there.’
‘It’s fine,’ Monica said. ‘We’re all friends, right? We’re friends now. You can say what you need to say.’
It was true, Leah thought. They were friends. Her friendship with Grace had preceded the group. But the rest of them – they’d only seen each other once a month since the group was formed. Yet they’d bonded. She smiled. ‘Monica’s right,’ she said. ‘We’re all friends here.’
There was a silence again as they all wondered how to follow George’s heartfelt speech.
‘So,’ Alfie said, coming to their rescue. ‘Emma Bovary – what do we think then? Trapped in a loveless marriage and trying to find a way out. Or… cheating woman doing wrong?’
‘Perhaps she’s both,’ Monica said. ‘Perhaps she could be both.’
‘I think she is quite exciting,’ said Camille. ‘Yes, perhaps she is not a nice person. But it would be a very dull book without her!’
‘That’s true,’ Grace said. ‘If he had married someone dull, there wouldn’t be a story at all.’
‘It was interesting to me how Emma was portrayed. Because obviously, this book was written by a man, and maybe he couldn’t appreciate how her mind might have been working. Not in the way that Austen could with her women. It’s the same with Dickens – if you think to the women inGreat Expectations– you’ve got Pip’s bitter and twisted sister, then the madness of Miss Havisham, and finally Estella, who is cold and hard to like. It’s not a great representation of womanhood, is it?’ said Leah.
‘There’s Biddy too,’ Alfie said. ‘She’s… I guess she’s the one who got away for Pip. Maybe without the money, he’d have stayed local and married her. Been happy.’
‘True,’ Leah said. ‘But we never really see much of her. She’s there really as a prop rather than a person. And compare those women to Jane Austen and her portrayal of the Bennet sisters – she sees them much more as they are – as people rather than things. People with needs and personalities. Some of the writing about Emma inMadame Bovaryis sympathetic. But then you have her hysterical overreaction to things…’
‘Such as?’ Grace said.
‘Well, when she gets dumped by her lover and she’s in bed with ‘brain fever’ for a month for a start,’ Leah said. ‘I mean, brain fever? What even is that?’
‘It’s classic though, isn’t it?’ Grace said. ‘Women in these books always seem to be so feeble, taking to their beds at the slightest thing.’
Alfie got up abruptly and left the room. Probably to go to the loo, they seemed to collectively decide. Nobody reacted.
‘I know. But then you’ve got Jane inPride and Prejudice– she gets a bit wet and becomes ill almost immediately!’ Grace said. ‘And Austen wrote that.’
‘Good point.’
‘Maybe we don’t play the damsel in distress card enough these days?’ joked Leah. ‘I could actually do with a few days in bed, being waited on.’
They all laughed.
‘This wine is delicious,’ Grace said, looking at Leah with approval. ‘Couldn’t have chosen better myself.’
Leah smiled. ‘Nathan picked it up for us – I’ll tell him.’
‘I will bring some wine perhaps myself next time,’ said Camille. ‘I know a farmer, he make his own. And it isincroyable!’
‘That sounds marvellous,’ Grace replied, smiling. ‘I hope – the reading, is it OK for you? I wish my French was good enough to read a novel in another language. Perhaps one day.’
‘Yes, and I will help you if you need,’ said Camille.
‘Thank you.’ Grace turned to Leah. ‘But yes, do tell Nathan bravo on the wine front! Unless… is he going to be home soon?’ she said, somewhat pointedly.
‘No idea,’ Leah said, a little tersely. The words seemed to hang in the air between her and Grace. Nobody else felt the import of them.
The silence between them all was broken by Alfie coming back in the room. In the midsummer light, it was clear to see that his face was blotchy and red.
‘Mate, what’s up?’ George said.
Alfie sat heavily in his chair. ‘Nothing,’ he said. ‘Just being pathetic, is all.’
‘Alfie… do you know that Camille told us your mum isn’t well?’ Monica said, softly.
