The Blue Castle: a novel

But, on this morning of her day of fate, Valancy could not find the key of her Blue Castle. Valancy never grew older than twenty-five in her Blue Castle, but recently—very recently—her hero had had reddish, tawny hair, a twisted smile and a mysterious past. That being the case, the wisest course—decreed Uncle James—was to attend the funeral—legitimise the whole thing, so to speak—show Deerwood that Valancy had really done a most creditable deed in going to nurse poor Cecilia Gay and that her family backed her up in it. The old family joke had come true—she was really fat at last—anyway, no longer skinny.