RATING: VERY GOOD
SPOILERS!!!
The Hunters get involved in the fete that the rector's wife, Mrs Fitzgerald, and other women from Northcote are organized to collect funds to help in the war. Hank, who is an American relative of Mrs Fitzgerald, becomes active in the organisation, and he and Diana become close. Sadie warns Diana that Hank is in love with her, but Diana does not know how to feel. Charles hasn't written to the Hunters in many weeks, so she has no idea if she should hold out any hopes.
Mrs Fitzgerald tells Beattie to ask Lady Wroughton to open the fete, and she writes to the lady and Charles at the same time. The first letter Beattie gets from Lady Wroughton is of refusal, but then the woman writes again to accept the invitation.
The day of the fete Charles and Lady Wroughton arrive, and the lady opens the fete. As soon as she does the honours, she leaves. Charles stays and has a walk around the stalls while he eyes Diana, who is playing the piano in Hank's stall. He finally approaches her, and they walk together while Hank watches them jealously. Diana encourages her to take part in the skittles game to win a pig. Hank thinks he is going to lose face, but Charles proves to be excellent. Before he goes, Charles tells her that his family will have a dance and he wants her to open the dance with him, and she accepts. Days later Hank, who feels he has lost to Charles, tells Diana that he is considering volunteering.
Sadie has returned to help with the horses as Mrs Cuthbert's stables have been selected to train horses for the war, and the lady wants Sadie to help. Sadie is delighted, and that is the excuse she gives her parents to avoid being sent to school. The first horses arrive, and one of the men is the vet who she already met weeks ago when he accidentally ran Nails over. The vet is John Courcy, and it seems that Sadie feels drawn to her.
In the fete Ethel meets a man, Sergeant Andy Wood, someone older and very direct in his comments. Ethel then starts seeing him and she thinks that someone from the army could be a good option in her future. Then just before Christmas Andy tells her that he is to spend the holiday with his wife and children, and she has the shock of her life. Then some days later Ethel receives a note to tell her that her mother has died.
Diana and her parents are invited to the Wroughtons' ball. Lady Wroughton is not happy that Charles has taken a shine to Diana, who she considers below them socially, so she has invited many eligible girls so that Charles can see the difference. She also thinks that it is good that Charles has taken an interest in a girl for the first time. The evening of the party as promised Charles and Diana open the dance, but Rupert cuts them off when they are about to dance the third time. He wants to dance with her, but once again he is nasty to her, telling her to leave Charles before she breaks his heart, and he is even physically forceful. Thankfully, Charles rescues her when his brother intends to hog her and prevent her from coming closer to Charles. Diana won't tell Charles what has happened, and then Charles tells her they need to go somewhere private. It is there where he proposes and Diana accepts, and then he announces the engagement the all the guests.
The novel ends on Christmas Eve when Jack's unit and the Germans hold a truce and there is peace for just a few hours. A historic moment which is really beautiful.
I enjoyed the book greatly. It has been a pleasurable read, and I'll definitely read the next part.
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