When did you ever see me trouble my head about my dignity?

It's Tuesday so we're at week...something in the Villette in March readalong. I am bad at keeping track of things. But even if I don't remember what number post this is, I'm remembering to get them done so good job, me. This week we're discussing chapters 27-33. Thank you, Alice, for hosting this thang.

Last week I had high expectations for this party with Dr. John, Ginevra, Lucy, and Polly all in one place. Even M. Paul was there. And it was not soap opera-y at all. Boo, CB.

Lucy is getting over her crush on Dr. John which, whatever. I am bored with that storyline. Let Dr. John and Polly get together which is what we've been leading up to since the first chapters. Instead Lucy is focusing her interest on M. Paul and going on about how excited she is he's shown up and given such a performance and then she's super awkward around him.

I had plenty of praise in my heart; but alas! no words on my lips. Who has words at the right moment? I stammered some lame expressions; but was truly glad when other people, coming up with profuse congratulations, covered my deficiency by their redundancy.

M. Paul continues to be weird by sneaking up behind her and hissing (Lucy's word) in her ear and unfortunately I don't really know what he said because French class was a long time ago and my free book does not include translations. Lucy called it an insult and given his past behavior, that isn't super surprising.

I know CB is all...

Thanks Alice!

...when it comes to guys, but come on now.

Or Ginevra would be good. Look, then it fits in with above cos she's kind of a pain in the ass and says mean things to Lucy but Lucy regularly seems to fight back. And besides, I think the two of them could balance each other out. Even if Lucy does feel the need to put a pin in her girdle to keep Ginevra to keep from elbowing her. I mean, really, it's sort of adorable.

The rest of this section is mostly focused on M. Paul and Lucy fighting and then making up and then fighting again. They fight over stuff like if her dress was red or pink, and Lucy is VERY ADAMANT it was pink and subdued with black lace and OMG, M. Paul, do you think she's a hussy? M. Paul keeps accusing her of being "too airy and cheery", "too flowery and coloury", so I wonder if he's ever actually met Lucy.

At one point Mr. Paul is very offended because for his birthday (I think it's his birthday) everyone, students at least, give him flowers but Lucy won't. M. Paul gets all bent out of shape, as he does. Starts railing against all things English because if people aren't insulting other races and cultures, why bother? Don't worry, she actually made him something extra special. And not long after she finds him snooping through her stuff, she makes a declaration (to herself) about her feelings for M. Paul: she does not dislike him. Well now.

We get a chapter where it seems like we're actually going to find out about the nun, both M. Paul and Lucy seem to see her but then the chapter ends and in the next two chapters anyway, we don't get more information about this ghost/apparition/creepy lady thing.

Instead we get Polly talking about how Dr. John has been writing her letters and naturally Lucy doesn't approve because of course she doesn't. Then everyone at the school goes to a farm for breakfast and there we are.

Title quote from page 318

Bronte, Charlotte. Villette. Amazon Digital Services. Originally published 1853.