This light little novel from 1935 is by Ruby Ayres, 'who is at her best in this story of a girl who wanted only one man in her life'. With previous titles like Come To My Wedding, The Man The Woman Loved, and Look To The Spring, she seems to be heavy on the romance. I am always interested though in what people were doing or thought interesting in the 1930's, so why not spend a few hours pining over love. Might be a happy ending.
Mariette is only seventeen and desperately in love with Jerry Ottershaw, and he with her, despite being a grown man of thirty. He lives in the same London rooming house with Mariette and her eccentric mother. Mariette often wonders what it would be like to have a father, but he is dead. Some think Jerry is just being a kindly father figure to the poor girl, helping to pay for things they cannot afford including rent and sometimes a holiday, but we all know he truly loves her.
They are on the eve of getting married when the mother dies suddenly - Enter the father!
Alive and with little explanation why he has been staying away, the wealthy man arrives at the rooming house in a limo to take Marietta away. Since she is now a woman of means, now from a different class, Jerry cannot think of marrying her, which leads to over 20 pages of please stay, no I really can't.
Although she goes to live in a fancy hotel with her father, Jerry is all she thinks about. Even spending time dining and shopping with socialite Mrs. Dundas and her handsome young son at the hotel, doesn't stop her petulant obsession, swinging from I love him, dearly, to, why did he leave me, I hate Jerry!
It's a breezy read with a number of twists and turns (Mrs. Dundas is not who you think she is) before several deus ex machina in quick succession produce the desired result. You see - I told you that Jerry's love was true, he just thought staying away was best for her.
It's simple and a bit naive, but gives a taste of what 1935 England was like. Throughout it all there is no kiss - even something like putting his hand over hers in public is a bit much. It's mainly the emotional struggle of wanting the man she cannot have, and realizing she would have been immensely wealthy with no money and Jerry, than having 80,000 pounds without him.
"Jerry! Oh Jerry ---"
Light and entertaining, it was just what I thought it would be. A quick fun read.
I have a Doubleday first edition hardcover from 1934 with this great illustration on the jacket.
1934 / Hardcover / 305 pages
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