‘Are we starting already?’ asked Sue.
‘Well … perhaps we could wait a few more minutes,’ Estelle suggested, glancing at the clock to discover it was now 7.15 p.m. ‘There was one more person who said she would be coming …’ she broke off as she checked her list. ‘Gracie – you’re here. And Sue … Yes, a lady called Rebecca said she would definitely be here. Perhaps we could wait for her?’
Everyone murmured their agreement, then went back to what they were doing. Sue sipped her coffee awkwardly; Gracie was skimming through her book, underlining certain phrases with a purple glitter pen; and Reggie was tapping his foot irritably. The silence was fast becoming unbearable.
‘Anyone for more brownies?’ Estelle called out desperately, thrusting the plate under Reggie’s nose.
She span round as the door opened once more and Rebecca burst through.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she panted, pulling off her woollen beanie and cosy parka. ‘I stayed late at work, but then the bus got stuck in traffic. Have I missed anything? Have you started yet?’ she asked, barely pausing for breath.
‘You’re fine,’ Estelle reassured her, as she brought over a pot of tea and a jug of coffee so everyone could help themselves to top-ups. ‘Rebecca, is it?’
Rebecca nodded breathlessly as she slid into a seat, quickly pulling out her copy of Tess.
‘We decided to wait for you,’ Estelle smiled kindly. ‘This is Sue, by the way. And Reggie. And Gracie,’ she finished.
‘Oh!’ Rebecca exclaimed, as she noticed the woman she’d sat down next to. ‘I saw you outside here the other week, looking at the poster. I’m so glad you came,’ she beamed. ‘I love your dress, by the way.’
‘Thanks,’ Gracie grinned. ‘It’s from Lola’s Vintage, on Park Street. Do you know it?’
Rebecca shook her head, as she helped herself to a square of carrot cake.
‘You should check it out. It’s really cool.’
‘Thanks, I will,’ Rebecca smiled back.
‘Are we expecting anyone else, or should we get started?’ Reggie asked, and Estelle detected a touch of impatience in his tone.
‘No more definites,’ she told him.
‘And it is twenty past seven,’ Sue added. ‘If anyone else turns up, I’m sure they could just join in.’
‘Yes, good point,’ Estelle agreed, feeling a little apprehensive now that they were actually about to start. She’d never been to a book club meeting before, let alone chaired one, and the fact that she desperately wanted tonight to be a success made her far more nervous than she would otherwise be. From a financial perspective, Estelle couldn’t help wishing that a few more people had turned up, but the small, cosy group was intimate and unthreatening – perfect for making her debut as a book club host.
‘Right, let’s get going,’ Estelle began, clapping her hands together authoritatively. ‘Who’d like to start?’
She looked expectantly around the table, but everyone stayed silent. ‘Anyone?’ Estelle pleaded, trying to keep the note of desperation from her voice.
Reggie scratched his nose, and the sudden movement caught Estelle’s attention.
‘Reggie? Perhaps you’d like to give us your thoughts on Tess.’
‘Um …’ Reggie shifted awkwardly in his seat. ‘Well, if you don’t mind, I’m actually just here to observe.’
The four women looked back at him in confusion.
‘Observe?’ Estelle repeated.
‘Yes.’ Reggie’s face was flushed, and he looked embarrassed. ‘I’m doing my PhD, you see,’ he explained, pushing his glasses up his nose. ‘At the university. My thesis is on how literature brings communities together, and I thought this would be a good place to observe first-hand … so to speak …’ he tailed off.
‘I see,’ Estelle replied, feeling a stab of disappointment. She’d hoped for a lovely group of people, all having a pleasant discussion about books, but now it seemed as though Reggie saw them as nothing more than lab rats.
She looked around the table, trying to gauge the reactions of the others. ‘Does anyone have a problem with that?’
Gracie narrowed her eyes. ‘I’m not a monkey in a zoo, you know,’ she said petulantly.
‘Would you rather Reggie didn’t attend the meetings?’ Estelle asked nervously.
Gracie stared at him, with a long, assessing gaze. ‘No,’ she announced finally. ‘He can stay.’
Estelle breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that she didn’t have to break up an argument before the first session had properly got underway. ‘And have you read the book, Reggie?’
‘Yes, I have,’ he confirmed.
‘Well, if you would like to interject at any point and give us your opinions, please do,’ Estelle encouraged him. ‘I’m sure the group would be the richer for it. Now, Sue, how did you find Tess?’
Sue cleared her throat. ‘Overall, I enjoyed the novel,’ she began. ‘I thought it was moving, and thought-provoking, and I felt very sorry for Tess. I’m glad I read it, but it’s not something I’d read again – parts of it were very long-winded and dull.’
‘Thank you, Sue,’ Estelle said uncertainly. It wasn’t quite the ringing endorsement she’d hoped for, but she supposed that having a variety of opinions was the point of a discussion group. ‘Would anyone like to add anything to that? Gracie?’
‘I think Tess had a hellish life,’ Gracie dived in. ‘She went through one horrible experience after another, and I don’t see how anyone could enjoy reading about a poor young woman being thrown from one miserable scenario to the next. In fact, it made me wonder about Thomas Hardy – I bet he was a real misogynist to make her go through all that. I mean, what kind of a man was he, dreaming up all those vile situations? Quite frankly, I think the way Tess was treated was utterly disgusting, and the double standard for women in those days was appalling.’
‘Okay …’ Estelle began slowly, somewhat thrown by the strength of Gracie’s opinions. ‘So, was Tess a victim of fate, or should she be held responsible for her own mistakes?’ Estelle asked, consulting the list of questions she’d hastily put together before the meeting.
‘How could any of what happened to Tess be her fault?’ Gracie shot back. ‘It was all because of that bast—’ Here Gracie broke off and looked around apologetically. ‘Sorry, Alec’s fault. And then Angel should never have treated her the way he did either, especially when he’d already had an affair with some trollop.’
‘Excellent, thank you for your contribution, Gracie,’ Estelle cut in quickly, conscious of Sue’s look of disapproval at Gracie’s choice of language. ‘And what role does the landscape itself play in Tess?’ Estelle asked, hoping she’d chosen a less controversial topic.
There was silence around the table, the only sound coming from Reggie furiously scribbling on his notepad.
‘Rebecca?’ Estelle asked, noticing that Rebecca hadn’t yet spoken. ‘How do you think the landscape affected the action?’
Rebecca giggled nervously. ‘I’m not really sure … I feel like I’m back at school, to be honest,’ she admitted. ‘Stuck in English class.’
Sue was nodding in agreement. ‘I know what you mean. It reminds me of the essays we had to write at grammar school.’
‘You know, Tess is still on the syllabus,’ Rebecca told her. ‘At the school where I teach. It’s like