Met up with Jane this evening for a drink, a steak and ale pie (much, much yummy) in the Eagle & Child this evening. It was good to catch up again, after way too long a time. About 11 months I guess, almost 12, seeings as I’ll have been based “On The Hill” for a whole year now. Still, its not (shame-facedly) not as long as its been since I’ve seen Ros and Nick. How can James be a year old already and still no introductions. Bad, bad me.
That said, its nice to have such good friends that I can not see them for so long and still pick up where we left off. ‘Tis good. 🙂
Today, I had an idea for a setting for a future novel. Following the parallel Oxfords theme that I have begun with Mr Tumnal. Inspired by my daily walk out of the Oxford thoroughfare, under the Bridge of Sighs and round into the different world of twisting, tiny streets where the only sound is the striking of the college bells, I have found myself imagining that there really should be water flowing under it – a canal. More than that, it should be a network of canals (yes, I know Oxford is on a ‘hill’, I’d have to fix that), a Venice type place but where all the streets and life are just like the Oxford/Wren Hoe that we all know and love. The High Street becomes a ‘grand canal, Broad Street is boarded on the north by a canal. You get the Water Bus across from St Johns to the Ashmolean…
Still need characters and plot for the story though…
I’ve also been considering Mr Tumnal’s story, and where I go from here.
Miss Leroy is only beginning to realise that her control over Louis’ life is dissipating. She has had no reason to suspect things will not happen as they have always happened. That, once every nine years she takes a life in order to live longer. It has always been so, for hundreds of years, why would now be any different?
For Louis, he is not fighting Miss Leroy yet because he still doesn’t realise the extent to which she has been controlling, and directing his life. He doesn’t realise that he has a fight to fight.
It all changes when Kathryn discovers Louis’ other relationship with Amanda, and ends the relationship. And Amanda finds out about Lewis’ affair with Kathryn and walks out. Louis’ livee crashes down and exposes the real and the imaginary, and moves to change his life from this point forward. But Miss Leroy can’t let that happen. She needs him. Amanda softens towards him, but it is the ‘real’ life with Kathryn that he now craves…
