The Wars

Juliet d’Orsey provides more details of the relationship between Robert and Barbara, recorded over the course of a weekend. The events take place in a village name named Stourbridge St. Aubyn’s. The abbey of St. Aubyn’s was consigned to the d’Orseys as their family seat by William the Conqueror. The Marquis of St. Aubyn’s—Barbara and Juliet’s father—is mostly absent. Their mother, Lady Emmeline, longed for a simpler life; “her children, her gardens and her belief in God were all that mattered to her” (132). Her children are Clive, Michael, Barbara, Juliet, and Temple. So many of their friends come to the country house seeking to avoid “the horrors of Kitchener’s army” (132) that Lady Emmeline turns the house into a convalescent hospital. After being injured at St. Eloi, Robert accepts an invitation to visit St. Aubyn’s. It is sent by Taffler with a forged signature. Juliet considers Clive and Temple to be the family geniuses and Barbara and Michael to be “beautiful beyond compare” (133), while her role is to write everything down and remember everything that happened.

Robert arrives while Barbara is away, so Juliet offers to take him to his room. She “liked him at once” (135). Robert’s room is haunted by Lady Sorrel’s ghost, but she “isn’t really all that exciting” (135), as she lights candles in the early hours of each morning. Robert sets Rodwell’s sketch books open on the mantels in his room. Robert tells Juliet that his own brother is her age (12), an age at which she considers boys to be dreadful. She takes him to visit Captain Taffler, though there is something about him that Robert does not yet know. On the way, they see Barbara. Then Robert learns what has happened to Taffler: he has lost his arms in the war.

Later, they have dinner. Barbara spends the meal watching Robert, which Juliet considers to mean the “end of Major Terry” (137), her current love interest. Juliet still feels guilty for not adequately preparing Robert for the shock of seeing Taffler in his condition. Juliet sees Barbara exiting Terry’s room late at night; Barbara pauses for a moment outside Robert’s room and then walks on to Taffler’s room, where a light is still emanating from beneath the door. Juliet slips a Pin The Tail On The Donkey game under Terry’s door. He leaves a short time later.

Clive arrives with “all his pacifist friends” (138), which leads to an argument with Michael. One of the pacifists—Mrs. Woolf—is Juliet’s “idol” (139). After collecting flowers, Juliet sees Robert leaving Taffler’s room. Barbara exits the room just after Robert, leaving Taffler’s door slightly ajar. Barbara seems confused about what to do but he embraces her for “a very long time” (140). Then, they part. Juliet wants to give her flowers to Taffler but waits half-an-hour. She knocks on the door but there is no answer. Then, she enters. Taffler has tried to kill himself by rubbing the stumps of his arms against the wall with the intention of bleeding out. Juliet is given a sedative and wakes up the next morning. Taffler will live. Juliet is not permitted to enter the wards anymore.

Following this incident, “the affair between [Barbara] and Robert Ross developed very quickly” (141). Juliet “fell in love with Robert Ross” (142) too, but Barbara is very possessive of him. Juliet notices Robert’s violent temper. Michael goes to a training camp; Lady Emmeline weeps. Robert continues to recover from his knee injuries and Juliet reveals that his relationship with Barbara had a “physical aspect” (143) though she only reluctantly discusses it.

One evening, Juliet sees Barbara enter Robert’s room and decides to play a prank. She dresses up as Lady Sorrel’s ghost and enters Robert’s room, catching Barbara and Robert “making love” (145), though she struggles to understand what she has just seen. Juliet runs back to her room and “didn’t sleep” (145). The next day, Juliet bursts into tears and does not understand why. Clive sits with her. Juliet asks him why “Robert and Barbara are so afraid” (146), and Clive says that it is because “everyone they’ve loved has died” (146).

Robert leaves, and Barbara watches him “from behind the glass” (146). Juliet accompanies Robert to the end of the drive. He has given her Rodwell’s sketchbooks. She hands him a gift to open later: a collection of Lady Sorrel’s candles and wax matches. Clive once said, Juliet remembers, that he doubts their generation will ever be forgiven, but he hopes that “they’ll remember we were human beings” (147).