Patrick

[charverz.livejournal.com]

Patrick's romantic life provides a lot of scope for speculation.  The canon only provides Ginty, Claudie, and Nicola.  I'll state up front that, of the three, Nicola is obviously the best match, in my opinion.  Claudie is a non-starter, and unless Ginty gets a massive dose of maturity or Patrick goes off the deep end, we can rule Ginty out.

On the other hand, I see other possibilities.  First Rowan, for all that there's an age difference.  They certainly interact well together at the Nativity play in End of Term.  And I can see each providing the other with something each lacks - a romanticism that would be a nice break from Rowan's constant level-headedness, and a practicality that might help Patrick go somewhere in life.

The other, surprisingly enough, is Ann.  She is the only religious Marlow, and surely between low church Anglican and conservative Roman Catholic they could find some common ground. With the Anglican communion having its own turmoil, Ann might decide she doesn't want a woman vicar or blessings of same-sex unions.  One suspects that Antonia Forest would have found today's religious landscape very interesting (and would have been very happy with the new Pope).

Comments

[nzraya.livejournal.com]

Not Ann -- she thinks Catholicism is immoral (wouldn't lend Nicola her bike to go to Mass) and Patrick will never give it up. The very fact that she's *actually* religious, and sectarian, means that would be an irreconcilable difference. I agree with whoever said Patrick/Lawrie would be hilarious, and I can actually kind of see it, romantically! But -- as one of the readers who actually *likes* Patrick (quite a lot actually) and Nicola, I like them together -- not because it's romantic, but because I enjoy the spectacle of them enjoying each other's company, getting each other's jokes etc.

[charverz.livejournal.com]

One of my favourite passages is Patrick and Nicola sleeping in the haystack. There is something very beautiful about their friendship. No one would ever write that passage today - it would have to be sexualized.

[rekraft.livejournal.com]

Maybe it had been Patrick/Cousin Jon until then...

I've always imagined Patrick ending up with someone completely different. But what part of Patrick do you see Rowan - or Ann for that matter - being drawn to?

[charverz.livejournal.com]

Well, with Rowan I think it's opposites attracting. And if Rowan decides she wants to get married, she might want something other than the local farmers (yes, there's always Ronnie, but I suspect he's dull in his own way). Patrick is a known quality, and besides, their lands run together and bigger is better. Marrying a younger man would be a rational Rowan decision.

Ann is almost totally on a common religiosity, even if it's different churches.

[coughingbear]

I don't think it's quite fair to say she thinks Catholicism is immoral. I think she (like many at the time - the first phase of ARCIC talks were taking place in the 1970s and early 1980s) may have believed that the post-Vatican II changes, and changes that had taken place in the Church of England, were bringing everyone closer and possibly moving towards reunification or at least joint communion, and disliked the idea of her sister getting interested in the older, and as she could have seen it, more divisive, forms. Though why she didn't just say, look, last time one of you lot used my bike it ended up dead in a ditch...

I agree I can't see Ann and Patrick as a couple, but actually I tend to think the fact that they are both genuinely religious might be the one thing they could develop some kind of friendship over!

[nzraya.livejournal.com]

Yeah, you're right -- it's the "madly trad" aspect of the Merricks' worship she doesn't like -- but that's exactly what Patrick will never give up! (Hence, his willingness to be rusticated for doing "madly trad" things at his progressive guitar-playing Catholic school.) I agree, they could have long and productive discussions about religion and how no one else in the Marlow family can understand their feelings on the subject -- it's intriguing to think about. I just don't see it going to a romantic/matrimonial sort of place, since the issue of "what to raise the kids as" would loom, I think, large -- insurmountably so.

[charverz.livejournal.com]

nzray wrote: "no one else in the Marlow family can understand their feelings on the subject"

Well, Madam Orly can, but she's not always available. Her religous beliefs aren't totally sketched out, but I know a bit about French Catholicism (my mother's side of the family). I suspect that Madam Orly's religion is very personal, and quietly pious - she has her favourite saints (vide Lawrie in End of Term looking at her rosary, etc. and she isn't in much awe of priests, and perhaps even bishops. A discussion between Patrick and Madam Orly would be very interesting.

[nzraya.livejournal.com]

A discussion between Patrick and Madam Orly would be very interesting.

And, should it develop in a matrimonial direction, very unexpected! ^_^

[manda-09.livejournal.com]

I think it's an example of sibling-dismissal, in terms of Nicola's attitude to Patrick's religion set against her attitude to Ann's.

[nzraya.livejournal.com]

and p.s. yes there are all kinds of perfectly legitimate reasons for Ann not to lend Nicola her bike! Typical of her, I suppose, that's she's perfectly willing to accept the sacrifice of seeing it wrecked in a ditch again -- just not in the name of defiance of Vatican II!

[legionseagle (from livejournal.com)]

Dead under a traction engine, iirc.

[coughingbear]

Yes, of course. I couldn't remember exactly when it met its end, but I knew it was bad!