Charlie Fenton > Recent Status Updates

‘The Church declared that twelve was the age at which a girl was permitted to have sexual relations with her husband and cohabit, while fourteen was prescribed for boys. Nevertheless, many of Margaret’s contemporaries still considered this to be painfully young and often chose to wait a few years... So eager, though, was Edmund to secure an interest in Margaret’s inheritance through consummation’

‘The plan was that Margaret was to wed one of the Tudor brothers, who were both in their early twenties, and the one chosen was Edmund, the elder. Edmund would thus accumulate all of the lands that Margaret had inherited upon the death of her father... Margaret would have benefited from securing her future to one so personally close to the King.’

‘What harm was there in having high spirits, enjoying a laugh with the other girls and loving fine clothes? So what if she baulked at doing tasks she didn’t like, such as mending hems, making tarts and helping in the still room, the kind of things Mother Emmet deemed suitable occupations for a young lady? And did God really mind so much that she was not always in chapel when she should be?’

‘the prospect of being banished to the Dowager’s inn, and having to say farewell to Margaret, who was going with Father to Calais. Then they would be across the sea and so far away... The thought brought tears to her eyes. If seemed that all those she loved best were taken from her: Mother, Aunt Margaret, Isabel and now her stepmother. Was she to be spared no one who cared for her and looked to her needs?’

‘the Duchess was once again pregnant, so the couple had clearly reunited at some point following Somerset’s return from France. Possibly the shock of her husband’s death caused her to miscarry, or else the child was stillborn or died young, for nothing further is heard of this pregnancy. Though her father was dead, his lineage continued through Margaret, who was proud to be his daughter.’

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‘“Duke William made me swear an oath to support his claim to your majesty’s throne, or else live the remainder of my life as his prisoner.” Harold addressed these last words to Edward. “I was presented with two boxes and made to place one hand on each. After I made the oath, the contents of the boxes were revealed to me: holy relics. I had just sworn over holy relics!”’

‘seeing the moment of surprise on the Scot’s face at Edward’s move. Then he returned the king’s embrace. The queen saw the look of calm return to his face. Then something else: a glint in his eye that suggested he hadn’t given himself and his country over fully to the idea of peace. Malcolm caught her staring at him and smiled widely. Edith nodded back but his look had sent a cold stream through her.’

‘Fifty nursery school children from Willesden, north London, mostly three- to four-year-olds, had been evacuated to Highclere in September 1939 and spent Christmas in the huge blacked-out Castle, huddled up at night in the dormitories created for them on the top floor.‘

‘An heir to the throne was something she was supposed to produce. It was her sacred duty as a wife and queen. The fact that she couldn’t was her greatest regret. But now there was something else, a creeping relief she was too ashamed to acknowledge. The responsibility was gone, the expectation lifted. She felt lighter. Without warning the break from her grief was gone. She’d still failed’

‘As a small child, my son Edward would make a list for Santa and pin it to his door. On Christmas morning he would then proceed to carefully tick off what was in his stocking and bring forward what was missing for another year. I could only admire his practicality.’

‘Their relationship had become more and more chaste. While the words were never spoken aloud, Edith knew her husband had abandoned hope of their having a child together. She mourned the babe who would never share their love, knowing the lack of a son surely contributed to Edward’s depression.’

‘We do not set up a nativity scene at the Castle, instead we hold a special day over Christmas when we sing songs and play music to raise money for refugees - whether for medical relief or homelessness, specifically around the Middle East. Guests and visitors gather in the courtyard behind the Castle and, regardless of the weather, we raise our voices to remember those less fortunate than ourselves.’

Audiobook version (not on here, so many times they don’t bother putting them on here and it is awkward to make a new edition from my phone).

Short Story 5 - Homeless Bodies by Sarah Moss.
I guess it is interesting but not a short story, so don’t think it should have been included.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Short Story 4 - Vanitas by Laura Purcell.
I think I expected too much of this one, as it is the only short story by an author I have read before. I love her books and so had high expectations, I still enjoyed this but her other works were better.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I like the different spin on events, traditionally Edward’s marriage to Edith has been seen as an unhappy one, mainly due to the Godwin family and them having no children, so it is good to see things in a different light. I especially like how the author explained her being sent away during her father’s exile.

‘She knew people spoke about her brother, and the pronouncement delivered by the king. To be declared nithing was the worst thing that could happen to a man. Stripped of his titles and property, he also lost his name, family, ancestral history, and honour. These things were held more sacred than gold, and it pained Edith to think a member of her family should be so shamed.’

Short Story 4 - The Fool by Andrew Michael Hurley.
This one is a difficult one for me to rate, I find the prospect interesting but wish it could have been explored more (I know it is just a short story though). As said before, this one hits close to home too, I can't decide if that is a good thing or not.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This has me thinking about how voices sound to others who have suffered with psychosis. I have always been disappointed when TV shows or movies go full-on Exorcist when depicting them. Mine were always closer to normal but not quite, if that makes sense, like echoey, but they would get louder and more persistent in stressful situations. I think this has almost got the balance (from my experience) right.

Now the fourth short story really hits home. This one is on trepanning (cutting a hole in the skull, been around for many years and still performed now to reduce swelling). The woman in the story wants it done as she hopes it will rid her of the voices in her head. I’m quite open about the fact I used to hear voices and had episodes of psychosis when I was younger, so I can actually understand the desperation.

‘I remember one Christmas when one of my friends was feeling particularly impoverished and decided that wrapping paper was not a good use of her budget. So instead she wrapped all her presents in pages of the Financial Times newspaper, which is a rather fetching shade of salmon pink. Finished with black ribbon bows, the parcels looked effortlessly stylish and, of course, were eco-friendly.’

Short Story 3 - The Master and the Student by Haroun Khan.
This one was just okay for me, can’t put my finger on why. It was just as uncomfortable as the last ones and well-written, but failed to really engage me.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Short Story 2 - Scold’s Bridle by Oyinkan Braithwaite.
Now that was brilliant! Even better than the first one, if that were possible (as I rated that 5 stars). The first two stories have really set a high standard for the rest of the book.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Wow these are just so creepy and sinister. The narration really emphasises that too. Not for the faint-hearted either, as you can just imagine these things really happening.

Short Story 1 - Brothers and Sisters by Imogen Hermes Gowar.
I really enjoyed this one, it had such a sinister feel to it at the end and the narration was excellent. I just wish it wasn’t a short story, as I would love to see what happens next.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Now I wasn’t expecting that! I love when there is a twist I didn’t see coming (a lot of the times I can guess it).

‘Soon she found she’d been married and queen for a year. Still there was no child. People had stopped asking her if she was pregnant, but she was met with looks of pity and disappointment wherever she went. Except for Emma. Edith felt her mother-in-law’s condescending smirk following her whenever they passed in the palace halls.’

“One of the things my mother told me about being a wife was the weight of expectations which accompany the position. The expectations of the court you’ll be a fair mistress, and keep things running smoothly. The expectations of a husband in the bed chamber... The expectation of the entire country that you’ll provide an heir.”

‘One of the most enjoyable features of Christmas was the discarding of the rather rigid formality of a hospital, and finding what human and friendly souls many of the people I’d rather feared really were. It made us feel very like a family - especially with the babies!’