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#1: If My Father Never Married: Grizel Author: Liss, Location: Richmond

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 2:05 pm
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“Grizel, do see sense, dear!” Grizel Stanley turned a sulky shoulder on her husband, and gazed out of the window of their home in Chelsea. She had not yet dressed for the day, and was still wearing her silk pyjamas, her long curls dishevelled. Hugo, her husband, thought again – almost despairingly – how pretty she was. It was jolly hard luck on her, of course, and he could quite see why she didn’t want him to go, and that it was dreadfully, dreadfully selfish of him to insist upon leaving, but dash it, the Government had declared war on the beastly Germans, and there wasn’t much else a chap could do.

“If you loved me at all,” said Grizel finally, in low, bitter tones, “you wouldn’t even think of going!”

“But, Grizel, darling, you must understand! I can’t possibly not go!”

“But how will I manage?” At this, Grizel turned tear-soaked eyes towards her husband, and he felt himself weaken.

“Oh, of course you will!” he said vaguely. Grizel was not satisfied by this, jumped to her feet, pushed past her husband, and vanished downstairs. A few moments later the sound of obstreperous piano-playing floated up the house: a surefire indication of Grizel’s anger. She was a poor musician technically, never having had the patience for practice, but a good performer, as she was fond of being the centre of attention, and she had no problems in making her feelings known.

Hugo subsided onto the bed, and rested his head in his hands. Grizel was a darling, usually, it was just that she could get rather worked up about things when they didn’t go her way. It was all to do with her upbringing, Hugo supposed, or at least, that’s what his mother had said. She was always against Grizel, which upset the poor thing, and said that she was terribly spoilt and her father should be ashamed.

Hugo remembered once meeting an old friend of Grizel’s, who had said much the same thing. It had been awkward, Hugo recalled, because – well, he couldn’t remember what the row had been about now, but there had been a row, and Grizel had stormed off in a passion, and sulked for days. The other girl – Joey Bettany, that was the name – had been at school with Grizel until she – Grizel, that was – was about fourteen. She – Joey, that was – had said that Grizel had been a dear, and quite sweet, if a little spoilt, and what on earth had happened to change her?

Hugo knew of course. Husbands got told that sort of thing, sooner or later. Grizel had been in an apologetic mood, and so affectionate for most of last June, and had told him all about it. Her mother had died when she was practically a baby, and Grizel had been sent to live with her grandmother, which she had loved. But then her grandmother had died when she was about sixteen, and Grizel had gone back to live with her father, and from what Hugo could gather, it had all gone wrong from there. He couldn’t quite work out why Grizel had turned out – well, all right, difficult, admitted Hugo in a rare moment of honesty about his wife, but he gathered it was something to do with her father ignoring her most of the time, and not giving two hoots about anything to do with her.

Lost in his reverie, Hugo had failed to notice that the music had stopped, and he was therefore surprised when a hand slipped into the crook of his arm.

“I am a beast,” said a sorrowful voice. “I’m sorry, Hugo. Of course you must go.”

He looked up at his wife, kneeling penitently on the floor, her face still flushed from tears and anger.

“You are a pet,” he said feelingly, and they kissed. She might have a demon temper, thought Hugo, and I suppose she is dreadfully spoilt, but underneath it all, she’s rather an angel.

#2: Author: Mia, Location: London

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 3:55 pm
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Ooh excellent. I love AUs. Is there to be more? *hopes*

#3: Author: leahbelle, Location: Kilmarnock

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 4:34 pm
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Thanks, Liss. Really enjoying these.

#4: Author: Chair, Location: Rochester, Kent

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 7:44 pm
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Thanks, Liss. It's interesting to see life without the 2nd Mrs Cochrane.

#5: Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:36 pm
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Thanks, Liss, that was great.

#6: Author: Fiona Mc, Location: Bendigo, Australia

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:25 pm
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Thanks. What if's are interesting

#7: Author: Tara, Location: Malvern, Worcestershire

Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:47 pm
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Thanks, Liss - intriguing.

#8: Author: brie, Location: Glasgow

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:40 pm
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thanks liss

#9: Author: francesn, Location: away with the faeries

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:39 pm
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Thanks Liss.

Having read them both it's interesting to see the CS was the making of Grizel but it ruined Verity-Ann...

#10: Author: Elle, Location: Peterborough

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:31 pm
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Thanks Liss!

#11: Author: Woofter, Location: Location? What's a location?

Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 1:50 pm
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Thanks Liz Smile

#12: Author: Rosy-Jess, Location: Gloucestershire-London-Aberystwyth

Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 6:20 pm
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Excellent Liss. Thankyou!

The CBB -> St Scholastika's House

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