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"The
Time And The Place" was originally published in 1958 by Mills and Boon, and in 1964 by Harlequin. The dedication reads:
To another gay and gallant Kate,
Kate
Isabel Miller,
who was a Rector's daughter in
the Gay 'Nineties'
Kate Miller was a beloved member of Bill and Essie's parish in Weston.
The story of Catherine Gordon and Hugh Murdoch
is set at the fictional St. Enoch's High School in
There in Spring, on the banks of the Avon...'the
river banks would be sweet with leafing weeping willows, grown from cutting's from
Here is how Essie describes her hero and heroine:
Hugh, age 35: He has a dark,
craggy, rugged face; square-jawed, rather stern; with warm, brown eyes, heavily marked brows, and dark hair. He is
broad shouldered, but not over tall, giving an impression of stocky strength; compellingly attractive, completely masculine,
with a smile that lights up his face and a charming and powerful voice. His mouth is firm and disciplined with a tiny scar
on the upper lip; he has broad hands with spatulate fingers and short, strong black hairs springing from between the knuckles.
He is a talented singer with a pleasing baritone.
Catherine, age 23: She has black hair curling around a delicately
veined forehead and framing a heart-shaped face; with wild rose colouring and dimples. Her eyes are deep and larkspur-blue
with incredibly long eyelashes. She is petite, with a slight, tiny figure.
Although, another actress was chosen to portray Kate in our 'Fans Of Essie Summers' casting
sessions, the young Elizabeth Taylor is the actress I have always envisioned as Kate. To me, she looks just
as Kate is described.
The time and the place of Catherine
Gordon's first meeting with Hugh Murdoch, whose secretary she was about to become, were uncommonly ill-chosen. Catherine was
engaged to a handsome young sports master, and looking forward to an early and blissful marriage.The part, if any, that love
played in Hugh's life was obscure, but it seemed that there was a lovely, mysterious blonde who was more than willing to devote
herself to him. From their first odd meeting
Catherine and Hugh had a strangely unsettling relationship, bedevilled with
misunderstandings, yet it was destined to develop into one of lasting happiness.
There
is only one animal featured in this book, but Catherine's dog plays a very important role. Yet another bull-terrier named
Skipper, he precipitates her first meeting with the new Rector of St. Enoch's! At that momentous first meeting, Catherine
and Hugh share a meal at
a rest stop in the Port Hills...'As they went in
under the huge cross-beam, Catherine glanced up and read the inscription: "Jog on, jog on the footpath way and merrily hent
the stile-a, A merry heart goes all the day - your sad tires in a mile-a."'
Catherine had taken Skipper there for a carefree
Saturday hike and to look at the
St. Enoch's High School is situated in the Kahikatea
Valley below the Cashmeres in Christchurch.
The buildings are described as magnificent, built of old, grey stone in the
traditional style, with virginia creeper growing on the walls, surrounded by playing fields and trees; perhaps in this style.
and is writing a period novel about Katherine Parr,
King Henry the Eighth's last wife. He compares Catherine to her and calls her Kate, saying that it is more womanly than Cathy,
which is what Kenneth calls her. Historical records say that Katherine Parr was small and dark, like Catherine. What do you
think, is this how you envision Essie's
My Opinion:
This is an enjoyable book with some lovely descriptive
passages. I like both of these characters; although I don't find Catherine's personality to be as strongly defined as some
of Essie's other heroines, and Hugh is a bit too stern and patriarchal to be one of my favourite heroes. Della Penvyre makes
a very satisfying villain, though! As with her previous two books, I think she was still honing her craft. This is her first
book set in Christchurch, which is always a pleasure to read about, and one of only two with a school setting. That is surprising
to me because Essie had always wanted to be a teacher and one might think that she would have enjoyed using
that theme more often. My favourite scenes are the ones where Essie described the intimate evenings that Hugh and Kate enjoyed
together. I think she had a real gift for imparting a mood, and her descriptions of the flickering firelight, cosy tables
set for two, Kate's gowns, etc. are charming.
Kate and Hugh shared several intimate, fireside
meals together.
A strange thing to me is that in Essie's autobiography,
when she is discussing the writing of her books, she does not mention this one at all and goes from discussion of 'Bachelors
Galore' straight to 'The Master Of Tawhai'. Yet, this book was published in 1958, so it must have come after 'Bachelors Galore',
also published in 1958, as she states that was her second book, and before 'The Master Of Tawhai', as that was published in
1959. I have wondered if it was a serial she had previously written and that Mills and Boon picked up and published. Just
one of those little mysteries, I guess!
Hugh Murdoch is mentioned in "The Gold Of Noon"
by Theresa, and there is a reference to him in "The South Horizon Man", but Catherine and Hugh make no personal appearances
in other books. I would have liked to have met up with them again to see if they had that little girl that Catherine dreamed
of, named Charlotte Alexandra for Hugh's grandmother.
Cast Of Characters:
Catherine
( Cathy, Kate ) Gordon, age 23, secretary at St. Enoch's High School. She is devoted to St. Enoch's, and to it's new Rector.
Hugh ( Bulldog ) Alexander Murdoch, age 35, Rector of St. Enoch's. He brought new life to the school and to Catherine.
Garth and Barbara Duncan, friends of Hugh and Catherine.
Alastair, the Duncan's son and a student at
St. Enoch's.
Beth, Catherine's's seven year old niece, adopted by her when her brother Stephen died.
Gavin
and Cecily Gordon, Catherine's's brother and sister-in-law.
Kenneth Batridge, Catherine's's fiance, and sports
master at St. Enoch's.
Mrs. Batridge, Kenneth's mother.
Roderick ( Roddy ) Watson, a student at St.
Enoch's.
Mr.Watson, Roddy's father.
Della Anne Penvyre, an old aquaintance of Hugh's, she underestimated
Catherine.
Mr. and Mrs. Symonds, Della's mother and step-father.
Megan Richards, Catherine's friend,
and Beth's godmother.
Williamson, a student at St. Enoch's, who likes to place wagers.
Other St. Enoch's
Staff:
Dr. Charrington, the former Rector of St. Enoch's.
McMasters, a retired master.
Fielding,
a master.
Taylor, a master.
Mr. Martin, music master.
Mrs Willow ( Willy ), the cook.
Nelly,
a kitchen maid.
Miriam, a member of the office staff.
Important Characters; (now deceased):
Stephen
Gordon, Catherine's brother and Beth's father. He was a former master at St. Enoch's.
Ian Penvyre. He was Hugh's
best friend and Della's husband.
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'It had all the ingredients for happiness; the time...an hour or two spent
alone with the man she loved; the place...the dearest place of all...home, with a leaping fire on the hearth. But not the
loved one. Love, one-sided, wasn't love at all.
Occasionally their hands had touched as they passed papers to each other,
or books or references. His nearness as he bent his head above hers at the typewriter had once or twice been almost her undoing.
Most of all she had found it hard to bear the intimacy of their supper time. While the Rector had busied himself verifying
certain things, she made a pile of savory toast, and some coffee. They had sat in easy chairs with the coffee table between
them, in front of a fire of pine cones and driftwood that sent off an aromatic odour, and burned in salty flames of coral
and gold and a greenish-blue.
Catherine had known a poignant pleasure in pouring out coffee, holding sugar, plying him
with toast. A pleasure that had been more than half pain. It looked idyllic. If only it could have been as she longed for
it to be...if their eyes could have met and locked in a smiling intimacy, when hands could have touched and clung...if this
had been their own fireside, with no good night needing to be said between them.'
'As they came to the centre of the stage together, the Rector tall and broad-shouldered in his formal dress, Catherine tiny,
with a clipped-in pointed waist, the high-standing blue collar framing her shining black curls, the clapping and stamping
broke out again. The jet necklace rose and fell quickly, her cheeks were exquisitely flushed, her eyes like stars...it was
true...whatever motives lay behind it, at least it was true that she was going to marry Hugh Alexander Murdoch, Rector of
St. Enoch's.'
He held out his arms to her. "Come on, my gay Gordon, my love." She went
into them on a little run. As they closed about her, she looked up, a smile in her eyes,
"This time, Hugh, my darling,
the time, the place, and the loved one!"
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