The Mating Season
Categories: [ Books/Wodehouse ]
© Amazon.fr
Published in 1949.
Bertie is sent by his aunt Agatha to Deverill Hall to sing during the local concert. The Hall is inhabited by Esmond Haddock, his cousin Gertrude and his five aunts. Madeline being the goddaughter of one of the aunts should have gone there with Gussie, but when a friend of her called her for moral support after having broken with her fiance, she lets Gussie go alone. Unfortunately, Gussie is arrested by the police for being drunk and wading in the fountain on Trafalgar Square, Bertie goes to Deverill Hall and pretends to be Gussie. He befriends Esmond Haddock who explains he is in love with Corky Pirbright, a Hollywood star and sister of Catsmeat Pribright (a friend of Bertie who also happens to be in love with Gertrude; the aunts however don't like him because he's in the theatre business). Corky however won't accept to mary him if he doesn't start to stand up to his aunts. Bertie suggests him to sing a hunting song at the concert, abd plans to pay the public to cheer him, which should give hin enough self-confidence to defy his aunts. Soon after, Jeeves arrives with Gussie, who then pretends to be Bertie. They are soon followed by Catsmeat, disguised as Meadowes, posing as Bertie's manservant. Corky, who lives at the village with her uncle, the vicar, is the one organising the concert. She enrols Catsmeat and Gussie to play a Pat and Mike duetto. The problem is that Gussie falls in love with Corky and doesn't want to write any love letter to Madeline (who of course expects to receive one every day). He even writes her to announce he is breaking up with her. Bertie then takes the milk train at night to go to Wimbledon where Madeline is staying and steal the letter. He manages to do so but is caught when trying to leave. Madeline believes he came to see her because she thinks he's in love with her, and let him go back to Deverill Hall. There, Corky refuses to tell Gussie she's not interested in him, because she wants him to steal her dog from the local police constable who took it into custody after it bit him. Gussie accepts, but since he got nearly arrested, he comes back to his senses. The concert has the expected effect on Esmond, which allows Gertrude and Catsmeat to go back to London and get married and Esmond to ask Corky to marry him. Gussie has left already to go and visit Madeline, and Bertie flees when he hears that aunt Agatha has just arrived.
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