Tension – E M Delafield (1920)

With thanks to the British Library for the review copy

Tension by E M Delafield the last of the British Women Writers series I had left to read – I can’t wait for the next crop whenever that may be.

First published in 1920 this is a novel which in some ways is very much of its time, and yet in its exploration of the effects on someone’s reputation of persistent gossip, it is still very relevant. Today, with the rise of tabloid journalism and trial by social media we see daily people bowing under the onslaught of a tweet gone viral. While the manner and scale of gossip might have changed a lot in one hundred years, the effects haven’t really. Coming from the pen of the author of The Provincial Lady this feels like a more serious novel – yet everywhere is Delafield’s wit and her keen observers eye, her characters speak absurdly sometimes, because they are absurd, and she is showing us how ridiculous her society can be.

The tension of the title is that which is caused by the rumour and gossip that grows up around the appointment of a new lady Superintendent to a private collage for adult education. The director of the college is Sir Julian Rossiter, his wife Edna – Lady Rossiter is the purveyor of the gossip – a little word here and there, muttered in great concern – it’s deliberate and damaging and as gossip always does, it spreads.

“‘I know that things of that kind always are known, and people I’ve been thrown with, sooner or later, always turn out to have heard the story. Or if they hadn’t,’ said Miss Marchrose in a voice of calm despair, ‘someone took the trouble to tell them.’”

As the novel opens Lady Rossiter and her husband are being treated to the lively attentions of the two precocious Easter children. Their father Mark Easter is Sir Julian’s agent – and they live in a cottage nearby. Ruthie and Ambrose (or Peekaboo as Ruthie must call him) are atrociously behaved – their father must manage them alone, as his wife is locked away in some sort of institution for alcoholics. Sir Julian is concerned with the appointment of the new Lady Superintendent to the college – and when he mentions the woman who is due to arrive to his wife Edna she pricks up her ears. Convinced the woman is someone who was once involved with a relative of hers some years earlier, Lady Rossiter sets herself against Miss Marchrose even before she is in post. Lady Rossiter loves to take quite an interest in the college – she enjoys inviting some of the staff to her home and give them tea, believing this to be a wonderful treat for them. She is of course horribly un-self-aware.

“‘I want to know this Miss Marchrose,’ said lady Rossiter with decision. ‘I think I must go to the College tomorrow – I have been quite a long time without seeing any of my friends there. Dear Mr Fuller! I love Mr Fuller – he and I have such long talks over the welfare of the staff.’

‘I shall be in there all day tomorrow. Won’t you look in and let Miss Marchrose give you a cup of tea?’ said Mark.

‘Of course I will. They love dispensing a little hospitality, don’t they, and I’m always most ceremonious about returning their calls here. Not that Miss Marchrose has come over yet with the others.’”

I always enjoy reading about workplaces of the 1920s, 30s and 40s, the working world especially for women rather different to that of today. Here, Delafield sets part of her novel in a college for adult education – there’s some good detail about how the place operates and the long hours the teachers put in. One of the best characters in my opinion is Fairfax Fuller – a supervisor who is fairly no nonsense type of chap who really doesn’t suffer fools gladly – and clearly has Lady R pegged from the start.

Another story strand concerns Mark Easter’s sister Iris. She has written some sort of shocking novel called Why Ben! A story of the Sexes – it’s a very modern novel and Lady Rossiter feels duty bound to lock her copy away from the impressionable eyes of the servants. Iris is preparing to marry Douglas Garret – arrangements for which are in full swing.

When Pauline Marchrose begins her work at the college she has not reckoned on the interference of Lady Rossiter. Lady Rossiter is so convinced that Miss Marchrose behaved badly toward her relative that she is incapable of thinking anything very good of her. Sir Julian is a weak man, trapped in a loveless marriage, he has confidence in the appointment he has made, but does nothing to stop his wife’s quiet destruction of the lady Superintendent. A little word here, a suggestion there – and Edna’s job is soon done. One of the things that Lady Rossiter always asks herself is: ‘Is it kind, is it wise, is it true’ naturally she tends to answer herself in the affirmative – and on she goes, so absolutely certain of her own rightness – utterly blind to any other point of view. She is a marvellous creation, quite monstrous and yet at times the reader almost pities her – almost!

Tension also has a lot to say about the position of women at this period – just after the First Word War – Pauline Marchrose one of those surplus women – for whom the decision whether to marry or not could be life changing. Married women had position and status and things to do that a single woman didn’t – married women of this class at least, didn’t go out to earn their living. Delafield is really rather good at looking at more than one section of society and portraying its flaws with understanding and humour.

Another absolute winner from this series from the British Library.