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It might come up on this week’s podcast – I didn’t get time to call in – but was anyone else a little disturbed by Justin Elliot’s job offer to Lillian?
It sounded like he’s taken her on as some kind of “courtesan” or “geisha” or something. What do you call a situation where a woman who is connected to society is asked to make introductions for a “client” and in return he pays her an “allowance” for “expenses” like clothing. What is she? A paid companion? A professional networker?
It may well be perfectly proper in certain circles: but I don’t move in those circles so it sounds odd to me … (probably because there seems to be a sexual undercurrent).
Come on- “hostess” and “social secretary” both work. And since she’s his social equal, if not superior, in Ambridge, paying her a salary could easily be seen as demeaning.
his social equal,
That’s an interesting comment. I don’t think the layers of class were particularly touched on in the recent academic discussion, other than the broad strokes of feudalism. It would be interesting to see how the layers have shifted and blurred over the last 65+ years. In the late 1890s my great grandfather, an architect/builder, married the daughter of a pub owner (e.g.”Lilian”) and it was considered that he married beneath him. He was definitely not landowner class, but more like Jimmus. As recently as my teens (and I’m the same generation as the Brookfield Archers), it was hoped that we would “marry well” and thus move up another layer from solid middle-class to upper middle-class. Estate owners were definitely the aspiration, not the expectation. I left the UK in the mid-70s for Canada, a far more egalitarian country, so I honestly don’t know what or how much has changed since then; but if Ambridge is frozen in the 50’s, I can’t see a Justin/Lilian match being feasible. (Yes, I realize that Jennidahling married well, but Justin is a different kettle of fish from Brian.)
I just hope that Tiger is persuaded to come back from Costa Rica …
Miss Mid-City and Helen – absolutely! You’re spot on.
After this week, it’s pretty obvious what Justin’s doing – all the ‘my wife doesn’t understand me’ subterranean hints he keeps coming out with. It’s only a matter of time before he makes his move, and then Lilian will be a fully-fledged mistress. WAKE UP, WOMAN!
Having found that the hostile takeover approach to Borsetshire hasn’t worked, Justin’s now retrenched. He’s going softly-softly in his quest to get what he wants out of the county – which of course, Brian has spotted a mile off. Both Jenny Darling and Brian acknowledge that Lilian’s a ‘stalking horse’ for Justin to get his feet under the table socially and in business (no doubt they aren’t discounting the possibility of ‘a bit of the other’ either).
What irritated me was the way that Jenny Darling congratulated Lilian for landing a rich man to pay for her clothes, decorate her house and squire her at events – which is, of course, her own main achievement in life. Jennifer can be quite the pragmatist when it comes to being kept in nice baubles and an unlimited Underwood’s storecard.
I found this all really weird. I can see it happening. But not as explicitly as that.
Would you mind introducing me to a few people, come to a few parties, here let my buy you a dress… Would you like a cup of coffee… Oh look you seem to be my mistress. Perhaps.
But not a job offer for position vacant – mistress.
I’m a bloke but if I was Lilian I’d have tipped my G&T over him and walked out.
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