The Girl in Blue
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Books |
The Girl in Blue is a novel penned by P. G. Wodehouse, initially released in the United Kingdom on 29 October 1970 by Barrie & Jenkins and subsequently published in the United States on 22 February 1971 by Simon & Schuster, Inc..
The narrative centers on Jerry West, a cartoonist who falls in love with Jane Hunnicut, an air hostess. Prior to their marriage, Jerry must locate a missing Gainsborough miniature entitled The Girl in Blue.
Plot
In New York, Duane Stottlemeyer from Guildenstern's Stores informs lawyer Homer Pyle that his affluent sister, Bernadette "Barney" Claybourne, has been apprehended for shoplifting. To avoid prosecution, she is advised to leave the city. Duane recommends that Homer send Barney to Mellingham Hall, an English countryside estate managed by the brother of someone Homer knows.
Meanwhile, in London, Jerry West, a cartoonist serving jury duty, encounters a sharp-witted air hostess juror. They arrange to meet again, but Jerry forgets her name. Concurrently, Jerry is engaged to Vera Upshaw, a critical writer who pressures him to claim his inheritance early from his uncle Willoughby "Bill" Scrope—a wealthy lawyer and collector of miniature portraits, including the Gainsborough piece The Girl in Blue. Bill’s financially troubled brother Crispin oversees Mellingham Hall and borrows £200 from Bill.
Homer admires Vera but becomes disillusioned when she shows interest in him primarily for his wealth. Concerned that Barney might steal the valuable miniature, Homer alerts Bill and secures the painting inside Bill’s desk. When Bill discovers the miniature missing, he suspects Barney and offers Crispin £200 to recover it; although Crispin initially declines, he accepts after losing a bet on a horse named Brotherly Love.
Jerry discovers that the air hostess he admires is Jane Hunnicut, who has recently come into money through an unexpected inheritance. Despite this newfound wealth, Jerry doubts their ability to marry without his own financial security. At Mellingham Hall, tensions escalate involving Crispin’s coarse butler Reginald Chippendale, who is in fact an agent for a broker.
Jerry and Chippendale search Barney’s room for the miniature; Jerry is caught and struck by Barney while Chippendale escapes. Barney donates a cheap miniature to a church sale, which Crispin mistakenly believes to be The Girl in Blue; Chippendale purchases it and plots to exchange it for Crispin’s favor with local constable Ernest Simms.
Eventually, the genuine miniature is discovered inside Bill’s desk. Bill grants Jerry early access to his inheritance so that he may marry Jane. Jane’s inheritance is reduced due to unpaid taxes, alleviating worries about their financial future. Brotherly Love wins its race following the disqualification of the original winner, allowing Crispin to pay off his debts. Homer realizes Vera’s motives are financial and rejects her advances. Barney and Crispin become engaged alongside Jerry and Jane.
Publication history
The dust jackets of the initial UK and US editions share an identical front cover design by Osbert Lancaster and feature a back photograph taken by Tom Blau of Camera Press, showing Wodehouse walking with a dog. Only the US edition credits Lancaster and Blau.
The story was serialized in The Australian Women's Weekly between 16 and 30 December 1970. A shortened version appeared in the Canadian publication Star Weekly, a weekend supplement of the Toronto Star, on 24 April 1971.
External links
- The Russian Wodehouse Society's website, featuring a character index