The Blue Castle Book Club Chapter 20
I've been wondering about Deerwood, and its inhabitants, we don't really get the sense of community that we get with Avonlea or Glen St Mary or whatever the place Emily lives in is called. The Stirlings are very preoccupied with 'reputation' so it must be that there is a lot of gossip. People passing her with a cool nod and not stopping to speak to her is the first time we've seen them reacting to Valancy.
No doubt her mother was sitting in the room this lovely June evening playing solitaire—and cheating. Valancy knew that Mrs. Frederick always cheated. She never lost a game.
How the fuck do you cheat at solitaire? I play FreeCell, a game similar to Solitaire, daily online, it's impossible to cheat at.
She would never have the courage to wear that dress. John Foster’s arraignment of fear had no power to stiffen her against this.
Some changes take longer, it's not a mere snapping of fingers. Valancy's upbringing is deeply ingrained in her, especially with something like clothes.
I like the description of the Free Methodist church and everything around it! It gives me such peace. Once again, I'm not religious, but Mr Towers seems to me more of a Christian than Dr Stalling ever could be.
An old man, who lived in Port Lawrence and came out by the lake in a little disappearing propeller boat to give a free service to the people of the small, stony farms back of the hills, who would otherwise never have heard any gospel message.
I'm adding him to the list of minor valuable players of the book. What a difference a minister can make! (It reminds me how Jane's dad in Lantern Hill taught her how to read the Bible so that she could appreciate the book. Though JOLH came much later.)
The rumour reached Deerwood that she had “turned Free Methodist” and sent Mrs. Frederick to bed for a day.
She revels in being a victim. I bet she made Stickles wait on her.
“We’ll hear something worse than that about her soon,” Uncle Benjamin predicted gloomily.
Lol this guy. And then he turned out to be right!
Now we see the consequences of Mrs Frederick's shitty parenting. Had Valancy been allowed to go out more and have girl friends, she'd be aware of the type of parties they give in Chidley Corners.
I think it's quite natural for her to want to go to a dance. Why wouldn't she, now that she can do what she wants.
“You look so nice and—and—different, dear,” said Cissy. “Like a green moonbeam with a gleam of red in it, if there could be such a thing.”
A few months ago I asked the fandom if they ever associated colours with LMM's heroines and I suggested blue and silver for Valancy (blue, obviously, is in the very title and silver for 'moonlight' later) and someone suggested green, bc of this dress (I forgot it was green). She also wore the green suit when she walked out her mother's house. LMM must have liked green--Green Gables, Anne has a memorable green dress. So yes, I see it.
Valancy, alone in her corner, was feeling disgusted and repentant. Why had she ever come to such a place? Freedom and independence were all very well, but one should not be a little fool. She might have known what it would be like—she might have taken warning from Cissy’s guarded sentences. Her head was aching—she was sick of the whole thing.
Haven't we all been in similar situations? Sure, this is something you're more likely to go through in your early 20s, but that's what I mean about Valancy's upbringing.
But all is well--the knight in shining armour has arrived!
Valancy had two distinct convictions—one was that she was quite safe now;
Her first instinct is, she is safe. That matters a lot.
Barney doesn't strike me as someone who likes partying. But also, they don't have many dances in the area so Valancy might have assumed he would go to this one.
After her feeling of relief her next feeling was one of annoyance with Barney for coming there unshaved. Surely he might have enough self-respect to groom himself up decently when he went to a party. There he was, bareheaded, bristly-chinned, in his old trousers and his blue homespun shirt. Not even a coat. Valancy could have shaken him in her anger. No wonder people believed everything bad of him.
The next moment the man who held her went staggering across the room from a neatly planted blow on the jaw, knocking down whirling couples as he went.
Yessss, get him, Barney! *Swoons*
Valancy ran as she had never run before, clinging tight to Barney’s hand, wondering why she did not drop dead in such a mad scamper. Suppose she did! What a scandal it would make for her poor people. For the first time Valancy felt a little sorry for them. Also, she felt glad that she had escaped from that horrible row. Also, glad that she was holding tight to Barney’s hand. Her feelings were badly mixed and she had never had so many in such a brief time in her life.
This is so well described.
Thank the gods that Barney came round that evening. We're not sure if Cissy had a way of summoning him if he hadn't.
She was ashamed of the whole affair—ashamed of her folly in going—ashamed of being found in such a place by Barney Snaith. By Barney Snaith, reputed jail-breaker, infidel, forger and defaulter. Valancy’s lips twitched in the darkness as she thought of it. But she was ashamed.
Oh, Valancy. Don't beat yourself over it. Shit happens.
I forgot to mention in my previous post that I don't think that Barney is a bad person, bc animals are drawn to him.
The thistles looked like drunken fairies or tipsy elves as their car-lights passed over them.
A few hours at a seedy party and you see drunks everywhere, tsk tsk.
And they run out of gas and have to wait for a passing car to loan them some and they might wait all night.
I keep using the screenshot of Taylor Swift's You Are In Love but with all the talk of 'reputation', I may have the wrong album, lol.
