Antonia Forest fans

It depends what era they are going to be grown up in. A modern Nicola would probably join the Navy now that women can join it properly. Would she have become a Wren in the original Marlow era? I can't see her ever trying to become a professional singer - she was always rather embarrassed by her ability. I like to think she might have gone to University and found something completely unexpected to do. Or, given her love of history and old things perhaps she'd have gone into business with Miranda as an antiques dealer.
As for Lawrie, who knows. Lots of people who were brilliant at acting at school, get into drama school, but then spend years waiting tables waiting for their big break before giving up and doing something else. Lawrie did seem to lead a charmed life though -( "Lawrie is lucky but Nicola is nicer") so I can just see her being in the right place at the right time to catch the eye of a casting director and land a big part.

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nzraya.livejournal.com

Or, given her love of history and old things perhaps she'd have gone into business with Miranda as an antiques dealer.

OMG! THIS!

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occasionalhope.livejournal.com

I've imagined Nicola as a curator at a naval history museum, especially one with lots of Nelsoniana, on which she would obviously be The Expert. I'm not sure she's quite good enough at subordination to be in the Navy, and agree she's just not interested enough in singing.

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hooloovoo_42

As someone who wanted to join the RN, but was the wrong gender - then the wrong age, I don't think Nick would enjoy being in the WRNS. There would be no way she could serve at sea and she'd have to leave if she got married.

If Lawrie could actually stop being a pain and learn to play the parts she didn't want, she'd probably go all the way.

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Nicola might well have taken a short-service commission in the Wrens; I highly doubt she would have sung professionally, as she "never minded not singing". I don't think she'd really thought about her future by the end of the series. Mind you, no reason she couldn't have (for instance) taught singing and been in the RNVR, as a friend of mine did (actually, said friend taught piano, but same difference).

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birdsofshore

I can't imagine Nicola singing professionally, however I can't imagine Lawrie doing anything other than acting.

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Going into speculation territory here, but if the Patrick/Nicola romance continues/develops, how will this affect Nick's plans? I can't see Patrick being thrilled having Nick go off into the R.N. He might even have difficulties with a professional singer. It isn't at all clear from the canon what Patrick thinks he wants in a wife.

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I don't suppose he knows! He is only 16 when the series ends, if that (do we know when his birthday is?).

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I met a falconer once who'd been in the Royal Navy. His job had been to fly falcons over the naval air fields to chase birds away to reduce the risk of bird strikes. That might have been Nicola's dream job !
I've never thought Patrick and Nicola would end up together. I'm sure Nicola would have met and ended up with someone with someone quite unexpected, whatever job she ended up doing. Whereas Lawrie would have a series of dramatic affairs with her co-stars.

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colne-dsr.livejournal.com

It depends on Patrick, IMO. I can well see Nicola marrying Patrick because she's enough in love and because of the fringe benefits - historic house, falcons, etc. Would Patrick go for her or would he fall for someone less practical, eg. Gin or Claudie? Please no! No Wrens, the Navy isn't what it was.

Lawrie? Mostly stage actring until she's about 40, then she suddenly blossoms as a film actress and wins a late Oscar or two.

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Yes, Lawrie wouldn't have the obvious good looks that young film actresses need. But I can definitely imagine her acting The Queen like Helen Mirren.
I really, really can't see Patrick and Nicola getting married. Who does marry the boy they had an almost crush on when they were 14? Nicola will go away whereas Patrick will return home to manage his estate as soon as his father will let him. He's more likely to marry a local horsey hunting person - Oliver Reynold's sister maybe!

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biskybat.livejournal.com

But Lawrie is good looking, Isn't she? Doesn't it say somewhere - RAH, I think - that Patrick almost mistakes Nicola for Ginty when Nicola wears Miranda's dress? And Ginty is, by all accounts, supposed to be the best looking Marlow. Nicola and Lawrie are indistinguishable so therefore Lawrie must be getting on for good looking.

And Nicola will go to university. probably Oxford, to do something like Archeology.

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It says in one of the earlier books that all the Marlows are nice looking in a fair haired, blue eyed sort of way, but it's Ginty who has the 'real looks'. Nicola looking her best, in a dress that really suited her briefly looked like Ginty from across a crowded room. So yes, Lawrie is probably quite nice looking, but young film actresses who get leading roles have to be fairly stunning. Even to play an ugly character - have you ever seen a film version of Jane Eyre where Jane was remotely unattractive?

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biskybat.livejournal.com

But certainly attractive, talented and driven enough to get lots of TV roles and probably a long running part in a soap.

Patrick and Nicola - hope not. He would be terrible as anyone's husband, I think.

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I thought that the latest version departed from the Hollywood starlet mode - Mia Wasikowska, if not truly plain, certainly made herself look that way.

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I like the thought of Patrick and Nicola, but part of me thinks that Rowan wouldn't be a bad match.

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Rowan's way too old for him! At least, at the moment while they are 18 and 16....

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Yes, but look at End of Term, when they are together in the cathedral. They seem very comfortable together. And Rowan may decide she's getting on, and they do have the land in common.

Besides, Kay's already married, Ann (short of a road-to-Damascus conversion) just isn't on, Ginty's had her chance, and Patrick has never had a whole lot of use for Lawrie (apart from a brief moment of liking in RAH she's a sport about breaking into the school to retrieve the piece of clothing).

So why not?

Edited Date: 2013-09-26 07:20 pm (UTC)

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Well, he is only 16, and I recently met the guy I'd fancied when I was 16 and decided I'd had a Very Lucky Escape!

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I think Patrick and Nicola could very well end up together, but not immediately. She will go off and do whatever she does - I still think perhaps a short-service commission - and when she comes back they will both be adults and have to redefine their relationship, which could well lead to love.

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nickwhit.livejournal.com

I see Nick as becoming a maritime archaeologist. Marrying someone older than her (tho' not as old as Edwin) and not Patrick.

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intrepid--fox.livejournal.com

I can't imagine Nick becoming and archaeologist - it's far too impractical for her. I agree she will probably do a short stint in the WRNS (assuming she's pre women in the Navy era), but I think longer term she'll do something not even hinted-at in canon - something engineering-based, for example. I can see her doing something that's practical and exploits her maths skills, and in fact, it might not have anything to do with the sea at all: if you think about it, her romance is with the Navy, not the sea.

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Interesting, What if she goes to sea, and finds out that, like Hornblower, she gets seasick?

Edited Date: 2013-09-27 07:24 pm (UTC)

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We know from THE MARLOWS AND THE TRAITOR that she does get quite badly seasick; however, I believe that you get used to it after a day or so, and even back in the 1960s there were anti-sickness tablets one could take that were fairly effective.

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latimersdon.livejournal.com

She already knows that (Marlows and the Traitor). I think she will sail round the world with Raleigh International or similar, get a Navy scholarship to study engineering, work for several years in a very demanding shore job, and eventually marry Patrick - because no-one else will - have several children, live in a large cold house with no help and generally be permanently unhappy at perpetually coming way behind horses, falcons, conservative Catholicism and the Merrick family history in his attention and affections.

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Unless, of course, she converts to Catholicism herself and becomes a nun.... not an impossible scenario and one of the choices in my private Marlow-verse.

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Yes, one could work the old joke into that: Patrick's priest tells him to pray for her conversion. A week later he comes back, greatly upset. "Didn't it work?" asks Father. "Too well. She wants to become a nun!"

Having had an aunt who was a nun and Dean of a university, Nick could still find lots of scope for her talents.

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Although Nicola being Nicola and having to do everything she does totally whole-heartedly or not at all, wouldn't she probably explore a vocation as a contemplative?

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Certainly a path she might take, but it would depend very much on what order she went with. Cloistered with a choir? But she might still choose a teaching or missionary order. It's what you want to do, rather than any idea that contemplative is better - and what each order's strengths are. My best friend's sister went with the Carmelites in Norfolk.

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