Did it strike anyone as odd

That either Justin or Brian said something to the effect of 'What on earth’s the matter with him? Meaning Oliver. A bit ‘apart from that, Mrs Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?’ don’t you think? I mean, it was an obvious ploy to give Justin the opportunity to spill all about Grey Gables, but really, could … it was Brian who said it, I’m pretty sure now … could Brian not have reasonably concluded that someone whose wife dropped dead a short while ago might be a bit off his golf game and not wondered if there was some other reason?

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The Right Sort of Chap does not Wallow, Janie. They thought better of him.

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Yes, but it might affect a chap’s swing, mightn’t it? Surely it’s good form not to take any notice of any oddities in his game, 'nuff said, doncha know!

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That struck me too as odd.

Another thing I found weird was Alice saying “I’m sorry, I wouldn’t have told you only I thought you already knew.” It was precisely because Adam didn’t already know what Brian was up to that telling him was the right thing to do, so why on earth was she apologising?

It’s not like Mary Cutler to have such a tin ear.

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I suppose Alice meant ‘I wouldn’t have mentioned it if I had known it was news to you’. So she’s saying if Brian had told her Adam didn’t know then she didn’t think it was her place to tell him.

Yes, weird … they’re all supposed to be partners now, aren’t they? Alice ought to have been saying firmly that everyone should be told. I give up, though. Does that mean that every single thing has to be discussed even with Kate? Imagine the waste of time!

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Is that what she said? (not doubting you, but I seem to default to ‘tune out the silly mare’ where Alice is concerned). Makes no sense at all. Though why that should single it out as being particularly worthy of comment, grumphh, harrumph, cont’d p.94

Bah!, pah! and gah!

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Taking on a complete new way of doing things is a fairly large decision, so yes, they all ought to have been consulted.

Time for Adam to call in Debbie, Kate and Ruairi (Ruth) and get them indignant about it as well! Pointing out to them that Alice and Brian seem to think they are not important enough to mention it to ought to get all of them pretty riled; it’s possible that since it is her best belovéd, Adam, who has been slighted, even Jennifer might get a little peeved.

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Brian didn’t acknowledge he’d done anything wrong at all, did he? That part I found very believable and no wonder Adam was angry. I do know that if someone accuses me of ‘over-reacting’ that the red mist descends. It’s doubly enraging to be angry and to be told you have nothing to be angry about.

The trouble is that Adam and Brian have been through these scenes so many times before it makes one wonder why Adam has stayed. Brian’s parents conveniently died in an accident when he was in his thirties, didn’t they, so he hasn’t a clue what it’s like to be Adam’s age and have someone still calling the shots.

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Maybe he was thinking that in his case he’d be jumping for joy? (Charles Collingwood is on record as saying he envied Brian’s money, but not his wife!)

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Irish pronunciation can certainly be tricky…

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That, Janie, is a very good point.

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Indeed it is. I wonder if the SWs are aware of that, though?

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Absolutely definitely not!

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As a career move for Caroline. Dropping dead was a good move. It got her out of TAs dire dross.
Had Oliver had any sense he’d have taken an overdose of self-pity pills by now and gone too.

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[quote=“JustJanie, post:8, topic:582”] … if someone accuses me of ‘over-reacting’ that the red mist descends. It’s doubly enraging to be angry and to be told you have nothing to be angry about.[/quote]Yes. No reaction has ever been reduced by telling someone they are over-reacting.

It can be fun to watch the escalation though, Often through one’s fingers.

(as per my previously told tale of when the Surprising Mrs. Shanks was informed, by what was near-as-damn-it a foetus, that there was no demand for the item she was in the process of demanding).

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I loved the redoubtable Mrs Shanks story!

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My mother was once told in a shop where they didn’t have a bathmat (although they did sell them) that it was a seasonal item, Madam. She only just managed not to ask in which seasons it was that the child behind the counter didn’t wash…

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