#Glynalong week 4

Random word count recap thus far:

# of times "tiger" has been mentioned: 29

# of times anything was done with "passion": 62

# of times "kill" has been mentioned: 11

Phrase of the week, repeat after me: "MADLY RAVING WITH BRAIN FEVER"

Chapter XIX

The tuberoses make another appearance on tonight's dinner table, along with stephanotis this time. Google says tuberoses = dangerous love and stephanotis = happiness in marriage… interesting. Also they're dining on food alongside an overkill of fragrant flowers and a fountain of perfume, which sounds gross. I don't want every bite of food smelling and tasting like soap! (This is why I can never be royalty.)

After dinner, The Lady leaves Paul (probably for good) with a letter while he's sleeping.

Chapter XX

The contents of The Lady's letter: we were being stalked, but now you're in danger, so go straight to England. Paul reads it, passes out and then is "madly raving with brain fever." I love how Glyn will spend like, 5 paragraphs on The Lady's outfit, and barely manages to spare 5 words to describe the anguish Paul is going through. The sheer laziness of "brain fever" kills me!

Chapter XXI

Oh I spoke too soon. This chapter describes "brain fever" in 5ish pages. A few symptoms: unrest, weak as an infant, delirium, hideous anguish, hopeless longing. His parents are summoned to gently nurse him back to health… after an all-expenses paid trip to Europe and a love affair with a beautiful mysterious lady who told him a thousand times exactly what would happen. The "affluenza" is real, y'all.

The Lady: "this isn't going to last"
*actually leaves*

Chapter XXII

Paul and Company leave Venice and Paul is looking so broken that the yacht captain asks if he has typhoid fever and his father responds with "considerable mental tribulation over a women." Both pops and captain are surprisingly sympathetic in a very cringey "ugh, women"-sort-of-way.

Chapter XXIII

Paul and pops finally arrive home to his mother, who sees right through the brain fever and (s)mothers him to irritation. Paul is experiencing reverse-culture shock and can't stand Englishwomen, which is an interesting callback to chapter IX (I think) when re: English people, The Lady dissed and Paul was pissed. (and then they kissed. Ey! Rhyming!)

Chapter XXIV 

Paul and Charles (pops) and Captain Grigsby (yacht guy) are BFFs now because they have all experienced brain fever (heartbreak). Paul is starting to get over it, Isabella (remember Big Hands?) is back for Christmas (and engaged to a High Church curate), and they've made amends. Henrietta (mother) is pushing Paul to get married, but Charles is sympathetic and takes his side. What an odd ending to the chapter.

Until next time! Watch out for brain fever. Wash your hands and stay away from mysterious people who own more secrets than they own tiger skins. It all sounds very horrendous.