Loving and GivingIn 1914, when Nicandra is eight, all is well in the grand Irish estate of Deer Forest. Maman is beautiful and adored. Dada, silent and small, mooches contendedly around the stables. Aunt Tossie, of the giant heart and bosom, is widowed but looks splendid in weeds. The butler, the groom, the landsteward, the maids, the men--each has a place and knows it. Then, astonishingly, the perfect surface is shattered: Maman does something too dreadful ever to be spoken of. "What next? Who to love?" asks Nicaranda. And through her growing up and marriage her answer is to swamp those around her with kindness--while gradually the great house crumbles under a weight of manners and misunderstanding. |
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accepted Andrew asked Aunt Tossie bath beauty bedroom bird blue bottle breath called caravan chair changed child cold comfort coming course Dada Dada's dancing dark darling dear Deer Forest dining room dinner dogs don't door dress drink eggs empty everything eyes face fellow felt gave girl give glass going gone hall hand happy head heard held horses Hunt idea interest keep kind kitchen knew Lalage laughed leave light lived looked Maman mind morning moved Nannie never Nicandra night once opened perhaps pleasure present proper Robert round running side silly Silly-Willie sitting sounded stay steps stood stopped talk tell thing thought tonight took Tossie's touch tray turned Twomey voice waited warm watched window wonderful