Upcoming Reprise

Monday, September 9th

Esmeralda

Handicapped heroine, minor heiress, foot surgery.

Off With the Old Love - Reprise

This time of year (right before school) always takes me back to my childhood.  My August days during  the late 1960's to mid 1970's were spent in the bean fields of the Willamette Valley - along with all the other kids I knew.  It was a rite of passage...or something.  What it actually was, was a way for parents to get rid of their kids who were totally bored by this point of summer vacation.  

Betty Marcy and I were dropped off at a bean field in the morning and spent what felt like ALL DAY toiling in the hot hot sun...but which in reality was probably more like 4 to 6 hours spent doing as much slacking and socializing as the bosses would allow.  Sure, some of the kids that came worked hard and made good(ish) money, but we were not amongst them.  You could really tell we were not amongst them when the season ended and we picked up our meager earnings.  Three or four weeks of work, 5 days a week (except for the occasional day off) and we made usually around 50 dollars.  

This money was earmarked for School Clothes. 

I know, I know...you younger Bettys are thinking that 50 dollars would go a long way back in 1970.  I think it might have, but for some reason, it seemed that most of our money went to buy a coat.  Not a windbreaker, not a hoodie, but a knee length coat - the kind that was appropriate to wear with a dress - because back in the 60's/early 70's, our school dress code mandated dresses for girls.

What does this have to do with this week's book, you ask?

Betty Marcy was always a struggling fashionista...she really wanted to be stylish.  One year she earned enough money for a coat with a REAL FUR collar.  Pretty sure it was rabbit.  And that's what I always think of when I read this book.

Betty Debbie

This is the rabbit-fur jacket book.  That's how I remember it...

Radmer van Teule, 35, can't as much as order roast beef sandwiches or boost a co-worker onto a step or offer his surgical notes to his theatre sister Rachel Downing, 25, without every gesture bespeaking an endearment.
'That (chair) will give way one day...Won't you sit on mine, sir?'  

Something was obscuring her vision...

'Only when you're not here, Rachel.'
And it's as though he's found one of Shakespeare's lost love sonnets. (Shall I compare thee to my special forceps?  Thou art more useful and more shiny...)  But she can't hear that.  He's just an enormously respected surgeon about whose home life she has not a speck of interest.
The mote (cough*beam*cough) in her eye, blocking her view of all that solid, good-humored worthiness is Melville the Slim-Hipped Man-Child Hipster.  And what a piece of work he is.  
Melville is a television producer which is enough to excuse enormous reservoirs of bad behavior.

Melville Grant knew he was the bee's knees...

• He's critical of her clothing?  He's a TV producer!
• Doesn't like the country?  How could he?  He's a TV producer!
• Breaks dates? TV producer...
• Dismisses her profession?  See above.

Sure, she hates his friends and the bad food and gasoline flavored drinks and extravagant lifestyle and how he's always darting off in the middle of dates to network with fast TV types (Just think how wonderful this book would have been had cell phones been at all common in 1987!  He'd be that loud blue-tooth wearer, smugly sure that everyone is listening in to his conversation because it's that awesome.) but what's a girl to do?
Editorial Note:  Yes, Rachel is stupid to love him but in a way that makes me want to take a slow drag from a French cigarette, execute a Gallic shrug and mutter 'C'est l'amour' into my steak tartar.
For his part, the Professor looks on at her romantic drama with despair...and then he hatches a plan.  I imagine him spending the first year he loved her telling himself that he was too old for her.  And then when she meets Melville, he plunges further into hopelessness.  (Because she's happy, right?)  But now he can see that she isn't happy and she's likely to make a dreadful mistake and even if he is too old, he's surely better than Melville!
And that's when he assigns himself as her personal agony aunt.  His plan is simple really.

• Listen to her troubles.  Assure her that his motives are altruistic as he has a girl waiting in the wings to marry.  
• Seem to gather all your advice from the wildly improbable if strangely popular book The Rules(There are 35 'rules' and these are the ones he passes on: "Be a creature unlike any other", "Always end call and dates first" and "Don’t See Him More than Once or Twice a Week").  No, he doesn't actually have a pocket edition in his suit at all times but it feels like he does. (It was published in 1995 and the estate of La Neels should consider pursuing litigation against the authors.)
• Spread a large trapeze-grade net under her in the more-than-likely event that Melville will fail to pick up what she is putting down.

And things do appear to get better between her and the Man-Child for a time.  He is more-or-less attentive and very near courteous but they always seem to be on the outs anyway.  Perhaps it's because he's snogging a blonde American "actress"!  (Yes. He. Is.) Radmer wishes she could think it all out calmly and dispassionately somewhere miles away and then has a stroke of genius.  He'll send her to an International Convention for Theatre Sisters (but secretly, because girlfriend would probably refuse to go if she thought she was that much trouble to him).
He's one of the presenters so they get to hang out a little and she has the dawning realization that he is H.O.T. (alas, nothing more) but on the last day, when Radmer is practically stalking her behind the potted palms, he is just too late to prevent her from seeing Melville arrive with that bosom-y blonde starlet tartlet who wants the room key from him because she wants to take a shower! (The Venerable Neels writes this so as to leave no other construction on it than that this European hotel is also doubling as Brighton.  She also points neon lights at them.)
Tears and ugliness are postponed until Radmer gets her back up to her room--but ugliness there is.
To prevent a full-on theater melt-down, he sells a pack of lies to her nursing superior and whisks her off to his parent's Friesian estate.  He's understanding ('We've all been fools in our time...') and his patience with her makes me want to do him a favor and be patient with her myself.

No one ever expects the 2x4 of Dawning Realization...

But reality beckons and duties must be shouldered again.  Rachel returns to her home and that awful nursing rut when she is suddenly and gloriously pole-axed by theBlinding Two-By-Four of Dawning Realization between the eyes.  Radmer, his perceptions trained to be ultra-sensitive to the slightest tremor of Rachel's emotional life, understands at once.
He calls her to a committee room.
Lots and lots of kissing and a firm date to be married five days hence.
The End  



Rating: Boeuf en croute.  I really like the set-up (that rabbit-fur coat is unforgettable) and it's not hard to believe that Radmer would happily walk across a lake of molten fire to fetch a left-behind lipstick for Rachel.  (Think Rachel and Jacob-I-worked-seven-years-to-marry-you kind of love.)
Melville is a peach...the kind rotting in the compost pile--and it's so much fun hating him, contrasting his meaningless 'darling's and brow-puckered sartorial criticisms to Radmer--the kind of man whose every action says I will love you til I die.

Swing Dance Guy makes another conquest.

So,why does she love that fink?  I'll illustrate with a metaphor.  Melville reminds me of Swing Dance Guy.  (Not all Swing dancers are Swing Dance Guys) You know him, right?  That guy was at every dance I've ever been to.  (His face changes but his identity remains the same.)  At first, you're pleased and surprised that Swing Dance Guy plucked you out of obscurity to practice his dynamic and intriguing moves on--that his gyrations are for you and you alone.    And then it slowly dawns on you that Swing Dance Guy needs a partner (or else he's no better than Dancing With Herself Girl) and that all you are is a skirt and a pair of heels.  Also, it dawns on you that Swing Dance Guy is convinced he's the special-est snow flake ever and that he's a bit smug about not being one of those 'regular' dance people.   That's when you leave Swing Dance Guy to the tender mercies of some other starry-eyed young flower of maidenhood and trot off to find someone to disclose your inner-most secrets to and shuffle awkwardly around the dance floor with--someone like Sure, I Can Give You a Ride Home Guy.  


Food: The hospital serves fish-pie on Fridays (from religious roots?), Melville takes her to bars and parties where the best she can expect are salted nuts and crudites or potato straws.  We also get roast beef sandwiches, sausages, crisps, watercress soup, steak and kidney pie, home made ice cream, turnips and instant mash (mmmm...hospital food), ginger cake, drinks that taste like 'sugared petrol', an omelet and caramel cream, and oyster patties.  (Pretty much, if it sounds awful, Melville peddled it and if it sounds delish (and homey), Radmer did the honors.)  When her whole life crumbles before her eyes, Radmer takes her off for omelet Arnold Bennett, a water ice (?) and cold cucumber soup--which all sounds like he's a Medieval doctor trying not to inflame her humors.


Fashion: She wears a lot of expensive and eye-catching clothes that she can ill afford just to please Melville (high heels, vivid blouses...), even though he's always giving the wrong answer to 'How do I look?' (The right answer is always, 'Darling, you look wonderful tonight.').  Radmer doesn't mind her quilted jackets and sensible shoes.  She wears a short rabbit-fur jacket to a tedious party and gets a lot of mileage out of silk jersey dresses.

Beta Reader, Anyone?

via email:

Do you think… anyone would like to be a beta reader (i.e., guinea pig)? J

I’ve written many short stories, some of which have actually been read by people other than the family members who I’ve tied to chairs and forced (ok, kidding -- really).  Two years ago during NaNoWrimo, I wrote one and a half novellas.  I guess they’d fall into the romantic suspense category, but they’re Brighton-free and from a Christian viewpoint.

I have about two weeks of editing on the first one, before I’m going to kick it out of doors and see if it’s at all salvageable.  Would any Betty be interested in taking a look at it? This is just a first-pass, “yeah, ok” or “no, faggedaboudid” stage.

Thanks for listening.

Betty Janet A OH

Anyone who would like to help Betty Janet out may send their email to TUJD email (jerseydress@westopia.net) and I will personally forward it to her.  Pretty sure no rope or duct tape will be involved!

Happy Reading,

Betty Debbie

My brother-in-law has a question...

In yesterday's e-mail:

"In which book does the RDD have two dogs at home, but when our heroine takes them for a walk, one has magically switched breeds overnight!?

"Good luck looking THAT up on your Google translation service.

"PS: when are you arriving again?"

I'm arriving sometime tomorrow, after yet another in a recent series of doctor's visits.  But I can't answer the question on the breed-switching dog...

Anyone?

Upcoming Reprise

Monday September 2nd.

Off With the Old Love

Melville the television producer, international convention, international nurses.

International Betty

via email:

Dear Bettys

As a was rummaging in Harlequin India website for any news on new romances, I stumbled upon their latest additions for Indian audience. They have taken to translating romances published by US and UK authors in regional languages for Indians. But never did I think they would choose Betty Neels. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they did.  

They have translated The Doctor's Girl in Hindi (India's national language), Marathi (local language mostly spoken in the western state of Maharashtra)  and Tamil (spoken in the South of India, mostly in the state of Tamil Nadu). 

The titles also changed with translation. In Hindi it appears as 'The Doctors Lover', in Marathi it changes completely to 'The Doctor's Remedy'. Not only that in the Marathi translation, Loveday becomes Lisa. Unfortunately I can't read, speak or write Tamil, so I don't know how they changed it there. Will keep you updated when I find my Tamil friends.

Here's the link to the page if you want to check it out. Cover's quite fascinating too. http://www.hqnindia.com/series/locallanguage 

Have Fun

Love

Betty Shilpa

Doctor Ki Premika
 by  Betty Neels 
...OR...
Doctorancha Upay
 by  Betty Neels

If they turned a Betty Neels into a Bollywood production, who would you have play the leads?  My vote for the vast RHD (Rich Hindu Doctor) would be either Abhishek Bachchan or possibly Mohnish Behl. The part of a Neels heroine could be played by either Kajol  or Rani Mukherjee (as spunky Aramintas) or Madhuri Dixit (as an awesome Olivia).  Pure fantasy, of course. The girls I've chosen are a bit too old now, but a few years ago they would have been perfect.

Love and lardy cakes

Betty Debbie

A Suitable Match--Reprise

Good Morning, Darlings!
 I dug into the archives and found the discussion thread for this novel:
In A Suitable Match, our heroine prays to get the job which is just about as sweet as pie.  The Little Mijnheer and I have undergone periods of Abrupt Involuntary Sabbatical (early on in his career--I'll never forgive one of his employers for moving the company to Cyprus--in the Mediterranean(!)--two weeks after we signed the papers on our first house.  Though they were willing to move us out we opted to job search. (I was not going to give birth on an island with unresolved political issues.)) and, let me tell you, we were praying.
The employment situation being what it is, I wondered about our fellow Bettys.  What do you do to make a living?  Is your job, like the Great Betty's writing career, a Second Act?  Have you prayed to get one?
Love and lardy cakes!
Betty Keira



I read most of this book while holding my breath in the waiting room of the doctor's office (holding my breath in a somewhat vain attempt to avoid catching whatever plague du jour was being hacked up by the other patients).  Nearly four hours of my life I'll never get back. The school nurse called to tell me my son had a possible concussion (he's new to this school - this nurse is not familiar with his hypochondriac tendencies). Anyhoo...when the school nurse 'strongly advises' that you take your child to the doctor because they might have a head injury I feel it's best to cover my bases and take him in...but not without stopping off at home for A Suitable Match. (In my defense, my house was on the way). Having something to read probably helped save my sanity today. Shall we start?

Eustacia Crump...ugh...there's just no getting past that Crump. It does help that she's a total babe...tall dark and beautiful. I'm going to pretend that her age was a typo/editorial goof. It's given as 22 - but if you do the math - a few years after school traveling with parents and then at least two years as an orphan...she really must be closer to 24.  I'm going with that. Eustacia lives with her grandfather - both of whom have come down far in the world.  Instead of poor estate planning on the part of her parents, it's a little more serious. Eustacia's dad had been a high flyer for a while - but with his death, we find out that his company was bankrupt, and there's nothing left for Eustacia. Not only that, but most of Grandpa's money was invested in the company. Grandpa and Eustacia throw their lot together in London...but their 'lot' is really a 'little' and Eustacia needs to find a job to augment their dwindling funds.

Half a mile away from their flat is St. Biddolph's...which is in need of a new Assistant Bottle Washer for the Path Lab. It may not be an upwardly mobile career, but it will help pay the bills. In spite of stiff competition, Eustacia gets the plum position. In spite of having to dispose of some truly nasty things, Eustacia is a cheerful and willing worker and as an added benefit she gets to meet hot doctors. Big Man on Campus is Sir Colin Crighton (age 36, cancer specialist). He's not only hot, but also nice.  He doesn't laugh at her funny name, he remembers her, he carries on a conversation with her...ending with 'you are far to beautiful' in reference to her being a lowly Assistant Bottle Washer.

We next meet Sir Colin at Kew Gardens. Eustacia has trundled grandpa into a taxi so they can enjoy a little sunshine before winter sets in. Sir Colin is there with two young boys...Eustacia assumes Oliver and Teddy (age 8 and 9) are his sons, but he very soon disabuses her of that thought - they are in fact, his nephews who have been dumped on him by their parents (his brother) who have traipsed off to Brunei for a few months.  Grandpa is quick to see an opportunity here for Eustacia and Eustacia is just as quick to realize that she and Sir C. don't occupy the same social plane. Nope, 'I'll probably end up marrying another bottle-washer'.  Ah well. Sir Colin  knows a beautiful fish out of water when he sees one.

Skateboarding was just one of her many skills.

Sir Colin (oh heck, let's just drop the 'Sir'), is in a bind. Oliver and Teddy have had the flu, bronchitis and possibly Ebola and their regularly scheduled nanny has bailed on them. What's a Sir to do? Ask Eustacia and her grandpa to come to his country house and babysit. It's only a temp job, but he promises to give her good references.

Here's the job:

• Looking after two little boys.
• Going on nature walks in the country.
• Riding bikes with said boys.
• Grandpa gets to regale them with stories of India
• Space aliens.

Colin spends most of the week in town, dating the locals (including a girl named Gloria) and coming home to the boys only on weekends.  This only lasts a week or two until...

Couple Killed in Automobile Crash! News at Eleven!

Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Crighton have managed to get themselves killed in Brunei. Luckily, they have managed to keep their will up to date, and Sir Colin is named guardian, per their request. Mrs. Crighton's mum, Mrs. Kennedy is not happy with the arrangement. She would like to take the poor little orphans back to Richmond with her, so that she may have the opportunity to weep copious tears over them continuously. Yup, she's a Drip.



Being a drip is seldom attractive.

Colin has to go to Holland for a few days lecture tour.  Mrs. Kennedy calls up and Eustacia accidentally lets that cat out of the bag.

I shall be there in the morning to pick up the poor orphans! says The Drip.

Eustacia finds the emergency contact number and confesses her sins to Colin who immediately charters a plane (as you do...) and flies back to sort it out. By 'sort it out' he PROPOSES a MOC and gives her two hours to make up her mind (that's when the drippy Mrs. Kennedy is expected). The boys are happy, grandpa is happy, Mrs. Crighton, senior, is happy, Colin is happy. Mrs. Kennedy is not happy...like that was ever going to happen, but there's nothing she can do about it. Eustacia just has one question. 'What about Gloria?' 'She's the last woman I'd marry.' As an added inducement, Oliver offers a great retirement plan. 'When you are an old lady, Teddy and I will take care of you and Uncle Colin'. You can't ask for fairer than that. The boys would like a full on wedding extravaganza...but Eustacia draws the line at a train, six bridesmaids and a diamond tiara. She does promise to wear white and a pretty hat. Eustacia actually accepts money from Colin BEFORE MARRIAGE to bankroll a fabulous new wardrobe and wedding outfit. While not unheard of in the land of Betty Neels, it is rare enough for me to raise my eyebrows.

Sir Colin and Lady Crighton (Lady Crighton = Eustacia!) are coming out of Harrods one day when they run into Gloria. Frankly, one of the best bits of the book:

'This is Eustacia, my wife; my dear, this is Gloria Devlin.'

They shook hands and smiled, and disliked each other at once. Gloria stared at Eustacia with cold eyes. 'My dear, how exceedingly nice to meet you, I have wondered what you would be like. Not in the least like me, but then it wouldn't do to marry an imitation of me, would it?' She laughed and Eustacia said gently,

'I should think it would be very difficult to imitate you, Gloria.' She allowed her gaze to roam over the woman's person, at the same time allowing her eyebrows to arch very slightly and her mouth to droop in a doubtful fashion. It had the effect she had hoped for - Gloria glanced uneasily at her flamboyant outfit and, since Eustacia's eyes had come to rest on her scarlet leather boots, bent her gaze on them.

Brilliant, Betty, brilliant.

Gloria haunts their relationship for a bit...she drops by with Clive The Plastic Surgeon, who is fully appreciative of Eustacia's manifest perfections...much to the chagrin of Gloria.  Frankly, Gloria is no real threat, but Eustacia is angsty enough about her unrequited love to assume things that are just not so.

• Colin forgets to tell her that he has to go back to London...so she plans to be out when he gets back.
• The hospital throws a party for them...Eustacia gets to see some of her old associates.
• Eustacia tells Teddy she loves him and Oliver AND Uncle Colin. Uncle overhears.
• Mrs. Crighton mixes mild authority with a grandparents legitimate spoiling...nice.
• Teddy and Oliver have to spend a week with the Kennedy grandparents.  You can tell a lot about a person from their home. The Kennedy's live in a red brick Victorian decorated in beiges and browns.
• Teddy runs away!
• Eustacia drives from London to Richmond to find him (The Drip plans to inform the police in the morning that an eight year-old is missing!)
• Eustacia finds Teddy, Colin finds them both.

A lovely bit with the four of them sharing a bedroom and bathroom. Colin proves himself a man among men by procuring fish and chips and a bottle of wine at ten o'clock at night. All four, plus luggage, squeeze into the Mini for the ride home. 'Fortunately we're all on speaking terms.'

Trip to Holland. Haso and Prudence ter Brons Huizinga (Paradise for Two) put them up. And put up with them. Colin makes no effort to be alone with Eustacia...and she calls him on it.

Prudence drops Eustacia off in Groningen so that she can meet Colin for lunch in Groningen. Eustacia gets lost. Yes, first she gets lost in thought. She and Colin are going to be alone for the first time in a while, and girlfriend plans on making the most of it. Unfortunately being lost in thought leads to being actually lost, which leads to her sitting around in the wrong hospital, which leads to Colin being in a white hot rage when he finally finds her. All this angsty-ness does not go unnoticed by their hosts. Haso has a theory - their relationship needs to come to a head, rather like a boil (ew), before it bursts (double ew). Prudence tell him not to be revolting.

One of the perils of being married to a doctor...
unfinished conversations.

Back in London Colin finally decides that they must have The Talk. Of course he's interrupted by a hospital emergency, but as he's walking out the door he tells Eustacia that it was a case of love at first sight. What??? He loves her? So many questions, but Colin's not there for the answer round. Eustacia falls asleep on the stairs waiting...and snoring.
Lovely kissing and lovely implied conjugal relations. The end.

Rating: Lashings of Whipped Cream! Right up until Eustacia has her Dawning Realization the night before the wedding.  After that the book suffers a bit of unevenness...lovely bits and not so lovely bits which tend to drag it down a bit.

• Eustacia may be a bottle washer, but she has also had a whirl in retail, taken a course in shorthand and typing AND looked into applying at the post office. I adore that she's looked into her options.
• Grandpa...he's a load of fun and useful! He's going to be the best kind of person to have around - someone who's great at entertaining Teddy and Oliver AND a homework helper.
• Teddy and Oliver are just as cute as can be. 
• Colin is fine...but it would have been nice to have a little more insight into his character. 
• Mrs. Kennedy is such a gosh awful grandmother - I love that Eustacia practically wants to smack her for being such a drip.

Final rating? Hmm. It probably averages out to nearly a Queen of Puddings.  Let's go with that.

Asparagus Flan? I'll pass.

Food: Cauliflower cheese, can of soup and scrambled eggs, muffins swimming in  butter, Marmite on toast fingers, tomato basil souffle, roast lamb with new potatoes, puree of broccoli (sounds like a particularly awful baby food variety...), asparagus flan (ditto), mousseline of lobster, noisettes of lamb, biscuit glace with raspberries and pralines, late night fish and chips in the bedroom.
Fashion: Pre-marital shopping trip (on his dime) at Harrods, including a white wedding dress and hat and elegant shoes, a beautiful tailored suit in a rich brown tweed, black skirt and a glamorous cream satin top, exquisitely embroidered.