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Go to the beginning Free Women 4: "Anna and Molly influence Tommy for the better. Marion leaves Richard. Anna does not feel herself." (Brought to you by kat impatientreader.com) Anna thinks to herself that she's going to have to kick Ivor out for good because he's recently reinstalled his boyfriend Ronnie back in his room in defiance of her wishes. She realizes that she feels like she's falling apart and everything is becoming meaningless. She thinks about the situation with Molly and Richard who have both begged Anna to talk sense into Marion and Tommy. Apparently Marion has left Richard and moved permanently into Molly's house, living upstairs in the flat in which Anna and Janet used to live. Now Marion spends all her time with Tommy, and Molly finds herself in the bizarre situation of tiptoeing around her own home, hoping that she doesn't disturb her son and his new best friend. Molly wants her house back. Richard, of course, doesn't care that Marion has left him and the kids; it just makes it easier for him to install his little secretary Jean into his household. But he doesn't like the fact that Marion and Tommy went to an anarchic demonstration for African independence and then got arrested by the police. He feels it brings scandal upon him, a famous tycoon. He wants Marion and Tommy to quit involving themselves with the wrong sorts of people. Anna goes over to Molly's house to talk with Tommy and Marion. First, she goes upstairs and sees Marion. At first Marion is defensive, thinking that Anna will try to talk her into returning to Richard for the sake of the children. Then she gets a little frightened when she realizes that Anna truly does not care. Anna speaks to Marion about African leaders she has known and begs Marion not to cheapen the cause for which they fight. To her own astonishment, she cries. Tommy comes upstairs to join them, stubbornly trying to keep her from taking Marion from him. Anna says that he's been good for Marion, and agrees that Marion shouldn't have to return to Richard. Both Marion and Tommy look relieved. Anna talks them into taking a holiday somewhere together in the short run so that Molly can have her house back. They agree. She returns to her own home; Richard and Molly show up, managing to interact politely with one another. She tells them that she got through to Marion and Tommy somehow – perhaps by crying and getting hysterical – and she thinks everything will turn out fine now. They are glad to hear it. That night Anna tells Ivor that he has to clear out in the morning, and that she will no longer rent to him. The next day at lunch, he shows up with a bouquet of flowers, hoping to butter her up as always. Consumed with rage, she smacks him in the face with the bouquet and tells him to get out. He pays up his back rent, and obeys. |
