Cecil Farner has his life set out for him, his parents deciding that he should 'take the cloth' and become a missionary through an obscure religious sect, despite him having no real faith in it at all. He is also tutored toward manhood by his ex-Governess privately, and soon learns that she and the religious order are inextricably linked. He finds that the order is run by the authority of some very domineering women, whose intention is to put him to good use overseas, but not as he'd thought.
This story was inspired by a true event that happened to me on my way to work one day. The rest, after the first three paragraphs, unfortunately, is pure fiction. In the true version, she just smiled at me and walked away as I went into work; I never saw her again.
May I share something personal with you Mrs Dale? With my son’s passage through adolescence, I found our relationship altered. Suddenly there’s a young man about the house, if you see what I mean? Well not quite a man that's true,-still a boy really- but something to toy with; a sort of toy boy? It can be unsettling at first but handled carefully, I found he could be very gratifying given the correct guidence at bedtime.
A dominant woman runs an Equestrian centre, once owned by her husband who is no more than a prisoner in his own home. She uses his business resources well, in securing clients to please her and maintain her lifestyle.
It can be a double edge sword being married to a beautiful woman. How does that song go: 'When you are in love with a beautiful woman, it's hard.' Well it's hard in all senses of the word.