What are you reading Geraldine

A Tragic Love

It is a book about Julien and Marguerite de Ravalet

I cannot say that I have heard of them

Not many people have

They were an incestuous brother and sister of high birth who were executed for their crimes

How dreadful

Julien was twenty-one and Marguerite was seventeen at the time of their deaths

She is said to have died of shock after witnessing her brothers execution but was decapitated nonetheless

And we call ourselves civilised

We are no better than the savages in the jungle

This all happened many years ago in seventeenth century France

It would not really cause a ripple these days

Possibly not

When I was a child there was a local farmer named Painter

He lived with his rather large family on Woodgrange Farm which was about a mile from my house

There were all kinds of rumours about the Painter family most of which were dreamt up in the local pub

Bur rather like Julien and Marguerite there was something rather odd about the two eldest as they tended to like each others company

Neither as they grew up appeared to have any outside relationships and their father who was a decent enough fellow wanted nothing to do with them

And then they suddenly moved to Bristol and I did not see them for over six years

That was until one day when I bumped into them at Temple Meads

They had remained together and were pushing a double buggy with two lovely children onboard

Twins I was told

Anita and Alan

It was obvious to me

But who was I to question love and I was very happy for them

But there are some who would frown on it

Indeed

Is it illegal

I would imagine so as it is said that incest can cause deformity

These days you would not notice as everybody seems to be quite nuts

Cynical you never change

I know

The 73 has just turned into the station

Is that your bus

Not today as I am catching the town bus

We live very tedious lives

Very tedious indeed

Will you be here tomorrow

Yes

Then we will continue our chat as I enjoy them

Perhaps when you are finished with it you can lend me your book

It will be a pleasure Phillip