As I read my way through Angela Thirkell's novel, "The Brandons," I thought that this was one book that was just a light story of the gentry in the English countryside with nothing really serious to say. I had the same feeling through much of "Summer Half" and, once again, I was wrong. In the editions, I have been reading, "The Brandons," is one of the longest and it took a long to time to get to the serious bit, but it was there none the less.
The character in question is a Miss Morris who is serving as companion to the elderly, eccentric and infirm Amelia Brandon. The daughter of a widowed clergy man, Miss Morris apparently served as his unpaid administrative and sometimes pastoral assistant. Once he died, she was left without money and/or a career and had to resort to serving as a companion to a succession of elderly ladies. Based on how Thirkell describes Miss Morris' experience, it sounds like the 1930's version of having the Victorian situation of governesses.
As noted, in this book Miss Morris is serving that role for Amelia Brandon, who in addition to her other characteristics is very wealthy and living on a large, but unattractive estate. The remaining Brandons are Lavinia Brandon and her two children, Francis and Delia plus a cousin named, Hilary Grant, who is conveniently living and studying with the local vicar, a Mr. Miller.
Amelia Brandon has a large fortune to dispose of and no immediate heirs so one of the questions is who will inherit, an especially interesting question because the obvious male candidates, Francis Brandon and Hilary Grant both want nothing to do with property. When Thirkell does resolve the question, she does so with a Dickensian twist that is not without humor.
But as noted earlier what was of most interest to me was the situation with Miss Morris who is once again without a "home" when Amelia finally does die. There are, of course, financial and romantic aspects to this which get full treatment, but more important from my point of view was that the work Miss Morris did for her father was clearly a calling. Thinking about it much of her frustration with her current situation doesn't appear to be either the romantic or financial side, but rather the frustration of not being able to do what she does well and loves to do. The exploration of that issue by itself was important, something I have found in each of Thirkell's novels.
"The Brandons" is also full of the Barsetshire characters from other novels and while it isn't necessary to read them in order, I do think it helps. The book also has an interesting 2/1 dynamic or love triangle where both Hilary Grant and Mr. Miller are infatuated with Mrs. Brandon whom, at some level, seems oblivious to the whole thing. It wasn't the most attractive part of this novel, but on reflection, it was probably used as a vehicle to help both Grant and Miller come to a better understanding of themselves and what they both want and need. Most, if not all, of Thirkell's novels end with a series of engagements or marriages. In "The Brandons," the different situations seem headed there, but not with quite that level of closure. I am not sure whether that was intentional understatement or there are some surprises ahead. The only way to find out will be to read on, with "Before Lunch" next up on the list.
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