Textual Tension
The comedy podcast that unpacks the bananas world of romance novels! Tune in every other Tuesday as one co-host, either Margie or Rachel, recount a romance novel to the other unsuspecting co-host.
Whether you love romance, love comedy, or love both, join us on our truly bananas comedy adventure!
Textual Tension
Ep. 71: Not Gay...Probably (feat. The Ladies of Strange
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Happy Pride Month! Your co-host Rachel is joined by Tiffany and Rebecca from The Ladies of Strange as they discuss Olivia Waite's, The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics. Science? Check. Feminism? Check. Gay? So many checks!
Hello. Welcome to textual tension. This is your co host Bitsy and I'm your co host, Rachel, every other week I jump on in here and tell you guys what's going down in the textual tension universe. We still need a catchy name for that. We'll come up with it eventually. Hey, how's it going, guys, happy pride. Oh my gosh, please remember during this beautiful Pride Month to be fabulous, and love everybody. And I think that's very important. And it's very special to us. And thus, please enjoy our kick off episode for Pride Month. Hey, if you are excited as excited for this upcoming episode as I am, which like you should be, and I'm very excited. So you know, me, you might enjoy some of the other stuff that we put out, specifically, some of the stuff over on Patreon, we have a Patreon at patreon.com/textual tension. Remember, you cannot search for that we do. So you got to type that URL in directly. But we have all kinds of cool stuff over there. There's bloopers, we get to get into this Matt Smith, smarty bits of the books. And we do we put out all kinds of like fun, seasonal episodes, all cool stuff like that. And we have like a discord that you don't have to be part of the patreon to be part of. But there is a special Patreon channel in our Discord for just the top tier patrons. But if you if you want to get access to all that cool stuff, maybe head on over to Patreon. And if you are not currently in a position where you can do that, totally cool. 100% cool. But what would really be helpful is if you went out and maybe gave us a review, rate us tell your friends about us. One thing we want to start doing is for every review that we get specifically, especially five star reviews, if you For every five star review that we get, we're going to be donating $5 to charity each month. So this month, we're going to do the Trevor Project, which is super cool. But if you leave us a review, and like write us a nice little message or something we will be giving to some of our favorite favorite charities. So we think that's pretty cool. And we just mostly want to hear from you guys. So the reviews really help us get the podcast out. And it's really just an awesome, awesome way for us to hear from you guys in sort of an official space. If you want to reach out to us in a unofficial space, kind of hit us up on all of our social media textual tension pod across the board, we get all kinds of recommendations and all kinds of stuff like that from you guys talking to it. So we like to hear from you. So please do that. If you do want to join the discord. The link to that is on our Instagram. So double bonus. Um, I think that's about it. Quick comment about this episode. Margie. I'm flying solo on this one. So, but we had some awesome guests come and hang out with me. So we had a really good time. And I'm really excited. So excited to show you guys this episode. But first, I think the most important matter of romance novel wisdom is an order. And for this romance novel wisdom, I thought I'd leave you with a tongue twister kind of Lingus full disclosures that came up for that one, our podcast husband and it was fantastic. Hey, so thank you so much for for being here. And I hope that you enjoy pride and you enjoy this pride episode. So without further ado, here is episode 71. Not gay. Probably tearing me apart from Hello, and welcome to textual tension, a love hate relationship with romance novels. I am your co host Rachel. I am your co
Unknown:host Tiffany and I am your co host Rebecca.
Rachel:Every other week one of us and this time it's me reads a romance novel and summarizes it for our unsuspecting co hosts. That's us. Together we unpack what happened. Hi, guys. Hi. Welcome to special pride. I'm still happy. It's honestly the most wonderful month of the year. It's like up there with Halloween spooky month for me.
Unknown:It really is my only concern or my only. What's the word where I'm not happy about it.
Rachel:Depress can concern would be the word that I would use I think
Unknown:the only downside to it. Hey guys. The Pride Parade in Italy it is in October not June.
Rachel:Oh yes. Yep. Oh, interesting. Yeah. Is it just a reschedule thing? No.
Unknown:always that way.
Rachel:I gotta say that kind of makes October the best month of the year, though, for you guys.
Unknown:Right going on.
Rachel:I guess I hope it's as spooky as it is fabulous. Oh,
Unknown:it is amazing in every way.
Rachel:It sounds freaking awesome. Well, hi guys. Thanks for coming. Um, so yes, this is a little different because we Margie is off doing Margie things and so you guys very wonderfully volunteered to hang out with me. So do you want to go ahead and plug plug bubbles right off the bat?
Unknown:Here do Rebecca Go ahead.
Rachel:Yeah, we do you do it.
Unknown:That's 100% Our podcast works. We are from the ladies of strategy of roughly two thirds, roughly two thirds of us here. Exactly. Exactly two thirds of us here. We talk about everything from true crime to paranormal to weird conspiracy theories and fun festivals, basically. Yeah, there's a reason we're invited. We have expertise, apparently. But yeah, you can find us on like, Spotify, iTunes, all the lovely places. You get podcasts. And we're on basically every social media platform. And by every platform, I mean, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Rachel:Yeah, not the tick tock. No. Either way, I keep telling you to do it, but
Unknown:too confusing for me? Well, I
Rachel:feel like we have really really good representation for this particular book because it is pride and of course we have to go as gay as we possibly can. And not only gay, but science to
Unknown:oh my god, my favorite orientation.
Rachel:Oh my god, guys, we have gay scientific feminism. And it's the greatest thing ever. Who is ready for this shit. Oh, so excited.
Unknown:I did not expect to be this ready. This is fine. Let's do this. Wow, I'm so like, I'm instantly excited.
Rachel:I'm sending you the Amazon link because good reads won't come up for me for some reason. Amazon don't talk to us. I don't sponsor Amazon. Oh, go ahead. And look at that cover for me.
Unknown:Oh my god, I'm instantly in love. This better be a good book. Because if this book was trash, I'm gonna be real upset. I love that cover.
Rachel:I know, right? Okay,
Unknown:Rebecca, do you mind if I take on this one? Knock yourself out. Okay, so the cover it is absolutely stunning. I would say that the author's name is equally as large as half the title of the book. Is the ladies guide to celestial mechanics? Yeah, baby. So we've got this gorgeous, it looks like a silk sheet red and a red silk sheet. You've got two ladies laying on it intertwined and one of them is in like this red gown. That's really pretty in one looks like she's in kind of how would you describe that? My first thought was like a peasant dress but I wasn't going to pirate because you have that like, yeah, poof blouse, almost, you know, with the sleeves, but it's like a separate shirt from the skirt.
Rachel:It almost looks like a flamenco kinda, huh? Yeah. Good vibes.
Unknown:Yes. And it's gorgeous. And one of them is like touching the others cheek. And you can definitely tell that this is Photoshop. Real bad Photoshop pistol and honestly just copping a feel.
Rachel:She might be able being 100% honest, I'm surprised that they picked red for the book, given kind of the subject matter in it and like, like some of the stuff that's going on it read is not the color I would have chosen. It's very intense. It is i So full disclosure, I was actually in the middle of reading a listener recommendation book. And this just randomly popped up. I don't even know where it was. I saw it. And it was like, oh my god, I have to do it. And then I looked at the calendar and was like, oh my god, I have to do it. So I will get to the list of recommendation. It's just this kind of took minor precedent. That's
Unknown:perfectly fine. Oh, and I see it's book one of three.
Rachel:It is I kinda want to read the other ones. Yes, scroll down the
Unknown:Amazon page. You see one of the recommendation is something called Wasp this waspish widows, which
Rachel:looks like fun. Oh yeah. does come although it's no it's called the caring and feeding of waspish, widow. Oh, that's even better. Oh, wow. Wow, these are great names.
Unknown:But that book also looks super photoshopped anyway. Yes, it does. Also, I think, not to be completely like sidetracking but like, I think the third book of this series is called Hellions waltz. And that might be what I call tip. Battle is
Rachel:hell. Oh, that's so good. Okay, I'm not gonna read that description. Somebody read the lady's guide to celestial mechanics description for the
Unknown:Go TIFF. Alright. As Lucy, you kill me Utomi
Rachel:McKone I don't know.
Unknown:All right. As Lucy McCartney watches her ex lover sham of a wedding she wishes herself anywhere else. It isn't until she finds a letter from the Countess of moth looking for someone to translate a groundbreaking French astronomy text that she knows where to go. Showing up at the counter says London home she hoped find a challenge not a woman who takes her breath away Catherine st day looks forward to a quiet with widowhood. Oh, okay, got it. Sorry. Yep,
Rachel:her boys did.
Unknown:She is really excited about it. Catherine seat day looks forward to a quiet widowhood once her late husband scientific legacy is fulfilled. She expected to hand off the translation and wash her hands of the project. Instead, she's intrigued by the young woman who turns up at her door begging to be allowed to do the work. And she agrees to let Lucy stay. But as Catherine finds herself longing for Lucy, everything she believes about herself and her life is tested. See spins.
Rachel:Oh, I didn't realize there was more. I'm not like, keep going
Unknown:a little bit more. While Lucy spends her days interpreting the complicated French text she spends her nights falling in love with the alluring Catherine. But sabotage and old wounds threatened to cert sever the Nope. But sabotage and old wounds threaten to sever the threads that bind them. Can Lucy and Catherine find the strength to stay together? Or are they doomed to be starcrossed? Lovers?
Rachel:Yes.
Unknown:gasp I want all of it right now. Give it to me, baby.
Rachel:Right. So okay, so the fun thing about this book is that I started my notes yesterday and then finish them during work today. So I have two separate mediums for notes. So I have my notes there on my computer and then the rest of them were in this very nice and professional. That's definitely not a work notebook, which makes it more fun. It's fine guy.
Unknown:I mean, you pick the right color. It matches the book.
Rachel:Oh my god. It does. Hell yeah. Very sultry. It's gonna be great. Alright, so triggers first. Oh, yeah. Do we need a bingo card? No, actually. So I will go ahead and preface this. I fucking loved this book. It was so good. So good, real wholesome. And it's magical. I love this book. And if you have any sense of feminine rage, it's good. It's good. It's very good. So can't wait. The only real trigger I think I would say is there's some like misogyny. Okay, but it is kind of also Victorian London. So, and that's to be correct. Right. So like historical misogyny. Exactly. And not historical homophobia. At least it's not seen. But we'll get into why the author did a very good job of kind of like, I'm not a historian. I'm not super, like I don't know a lot about this particular like era, but it felt like the author did her research. So are their research. We'll get into it. So we have our characters. We have Lucy. She's in her early 20s I'm pretty sure she has like brown hair and brown eyes. They just they didn't put as much of an emphasis on appearance. You don't like it brown hair, think brown eyes. But it's more
Unknown:good. Not the one in the red dress on the cover of our book.
Rachel:That's my guess. Again, I don't really think that the cover is a great representative
Unknown:question when are they?
Rachel:You know what? That's extremely fair. Entirely viable?
Unknown:Because labios on a lot of them.
Rachel:Oh my god. So, Lucy brown hair. I think brown eyes, she lives out in the country. And she has been helping her father with his astronomical observations and calculations for quite some time. Her father like, has much more of sort of like think like the theoretical physicist mind where he like, oh, but like, let's do a thought experiment, but about this really weird thing and like, see if that would work. And didn't really, especially in his older age, sit down and do like, wasn't interested in the minutiae of the calculation. So she took over that for him. Her father is dead. But so she now kind of has continued on with her own work. But she is very learned in all things astronomy, and has a major interest in it. She is most decidedly not married, and she is most decidedly lesbian. Yes, she is fully aware of that fact.
Unknown:Excellent. Yeah. My favorite code.
Rachel:We have Katherine or Lady Moss, which I think is the best name ever. I love it so much.
Unknown:It does give me this like, it feels very regal and like the lady that everybody looks at and is like, I'm intimidated by you. Yeah, I feel I'm just imagining her getting excited when she comes across a lit candle.
Rachel:I, I think she could either be that like, really Regal, like a eres aristocratic lady or a Batman villain? Oh,
Unknown:both are good options,
Rachel:right? Yeah. I love her. She's great. So she has blonde blue eyes like your typical British, like English rose kind of thing. And the only real description you kind of get of her like physically besides that is that she is rather buxom. So she got getting boobs.
Unknown:My favorite time to ask for clarification that that is what that meant. Oh, yeah.
Rachel:Tits. Um, and she has traveled the world with her husband. So her husband was hell bent on making a major scientific discovery. And as a result, they traveled everywhere. And unfortunately, on this last journey, he maybe kind of accidentally just straight up died. Because you know, when you're traveling the world, he gets sick sometimes. And sometimes you don't bounce back. Yeah, he was also a major dick. Um,
Unknown:oh, well, then that's fine. Yeah.
Rachel:Remember, you're allowed to die as long as you're an asshole. He or she is decidedly rich. And she's also decidedly not a lesbian. Probably. Yeah.
Unknown:It sounds like there's a little wiggle room there.
Rachel:You know what there might be, but she doesn't know it yet. So this is a book of discovery. So my favorite, I will say one thing that I found really interesting. So I think it was two years back. The first. The first like gay book that we did was a book set in Victorian London. And it was two dudes. And I think when we read that book, we kind of were like, Hey, guys, we never found any like smutty lesbian novels. Like that was something that was really hard to find. So I don't know this is actually the first money lesbian novel that I've ever come across. I'm sure there are more but this is the first one that I found. And that's part of what makes me so excited about all this
Unknown:makes. Oh, this is wonderful. I can't wait to read it. It's already invested. i You say that I think I flat found one that involved flat earth which like Why wouldn't I find that?
Rachel:You sent that to me? And I hated it. Went to the website. Alright, get into the shit. Let's go heylia Scene One. Lucy is begging Pris. Not to leave. So Chris is getting married to a family friend because she feels like that's her only option right now and she kind of has to she's getting older. She's getting towards like a spinster you know age and her parents. She can't get access to her inheritance until she you know, is validated by a man's penis. Let's, let's all be blunt here
Unknown:because that is where we inherently as women get our word. Sarcasm, sarcasm sarcasm. Our worth only comes from the ovaries.
Rachel:Yeah, it only comes from our ability to bear children. Yeah, exactly. So Chris is getting married, and she feels like she has to but this slight snag, Lucien Press are kind of like in love. And also, um, press didn't tell Lucy Lucy had to find out through the church announcements, saying, hey, this week these two people are getting married? No, yeah, not a good look, y'all don't do that to my girl. Um, so she's begging Chris not to leave. And it culminates in sexy time. But then Chris is like, I'm sorry, I have to go. And she goes and gets married. And Lucy is forced to sit in that pew and sit through the entire marriage like ceremony. And by the time she gets home, she doesn't go to like to the after dinner thing or anything, she goes home and she is devastated. She doesn't know what to do with herself because a brother who's an artist is about to like, leave for a while. And so she's by herself, she needs to do something, they need to figure out a way to make money because her dad's dead. It's just not a good situation. And she happens to get a letter from the lady of moth. Hmm. And this woman has. So she's been writing to, to Lucy's dad for a while now, like sending him all sorts of observations so that he can do all these calculations on it. But it turns out later, so he's actually been the one that's been doing all the calculations. The Lady of math just doesn't know that. So the lady is asking, she's like, Hey, you know, I'm so sorry to hear about your father. But we kind of have this really big project coming up, namely, translating this really important and influential astronomical text from French to English. Do you know if he had any, like, assistance or anything that would be interested in maybe doing that? And Lucy decides, you know what? I'm gonna go to London without telling anybody, because it's gonna be way harder for her to say no in person.
Unknown:Oh, my God, amazing.
Rachel:You imagine? Your boob breaks up with you and you rebound so hard that you just fuck off into science? Okay, Lucky. Well,
Unknown:that sounds like a solid plan, though. We'll see. My thought was, I would absolutely just like dip and disappear and go, like, suction cup to someone else. But I would probably not do the science part. That's fair, but you're also like, not entirely off brand with what happened.
Rachel:It's just more socially acceptable because it's two women in Victorian England. So don't worry. They're just friends. Just friends. Yeah.
Unknown:The roommate?
Rachel:Yeah, it's fine. Um, so she does. She straight up, shows up a Catherine in Catherine's parlor. And it's like, kind of disheveled, like, disheveled, just disabled, disheveled, disheveled, disheveled. It's one of those words you only ever repeat. So she says it shows up kind of disheveled. And Catherine internal monologue, like before Lucy shows up the internal monologue is, what am I gonna do today? Oh, I the same thing I do every day. This is really boring. Like, sure I had that one really torrid affair with the Italian dude. But like, that's over. What do I do now? doesn't know what to do with herself. And so this like, disheveled, like young girl shows up out of nowhere, and is like, let me do science for you. And she's like, you she's not really on board with it. But she's also like, she, she kind of gets these flashbacks to her husband, because she sees this look in Lucy's eye. And she's like, I've seen that look before that is like straight ambition. Like this is someone who's just going to bowl over anyone in their way to get what they want and like all this stuff. But because of that, she's also like, I don't want to say intimidated but maybe just do like, a little bit of like the programming that her husband kind of like, you know, shut down to her kind of takes over and she's like, well why why don't we go to this meeting of like the polite society or whatever, because you're my best option right now. And we'll see how it goes. Like not committing to anything. We'll see how it goes. You can maybe work on it a little bit in my library stay here for a few days but like we'll see how it goes. So she does a great So Lucy is now living temporarily with Lady Catherine so it's gonna end well. You can imagine those
Unknown:we're gonna end row with this end. Yeah
Rachel:it's a choose your own adventure guys. No, it's not we all know why it's heading.
Unknown:Well what had there if it were choose your own interest stories.
Rachel:Play in the gay card.
Unknown:Or just skip to chapter nine, Chapter chapters 16
Rachel:I'm glad we're on the same page. Oh, God. So I will also mention that Lucy does have a few. Well, sorry, roll it back, just a brief moment. There are a few kind of awkward moments. So Lucy still only has her morning like outfits from her, her dad and she doesn't have the money to buy nails, anything else. So she doesn't have that much in the way of clothing and she's not particularly well off. So like, she has to go to like a formal dinner with this like, Lady and is wearing this.
Unknown:She get dressed by the lady or does she just show up? And
Rachel:she just shows up? She like shows up to this formal dinner like and it's just the two of them. But it's still like, you know, like a formal like, oh, I have a guest over kind of dinner. And she's not you know, dressed great. But she does wear her best gown which happens to be one that press embroidered. Oh, yeah. Oh, so embroidery is I will say a theme in this book. It's a thing that will come up again. So press is embroidered. It's beautiful. I press was a very gifted with embroidery. And so Katherine comments on it, and makes a comment that she kind of like says it and immediately kicks herself but it Lucy kind of loses her cool a little bit and like starts to cry and ends up leaving center. And so Lady Catherine is like, Oh, shit. God dammit. Okay. Oh, God, I haven't done this in a while. All right, I'll try to be better tomorrow, I have to at least be like, the social anxiety this woman feels it just I feel it on a deep personal level saying. So the next day she like, goes into the libraries. Like can I keep you company? Like, I'm gonna try it. So they start to like, it's a little awkward, but they start to have, you know, bridge the gap a little bit and like, you know, make some connections. And every once in a while Lucy, like, will glance up and she's like, she's a very attractive woman. I did not expect that like, having never seen her. But she's a beautiful like not she's not that old. She's like, not that much older than Lucy and everything and what also like, I kind of have been through a lot. So we're just gonna and I will say props to her Lady Catherine. She pretty much gets the hits the nail on the head. She's like, Oh, I see her in Paris. Love, got it. But like doesn't make that much of it. It's you very much. And this is kind of what the author was saying with the authored feel. It feels like they've done their research. It's one of those things where like, for as much as the Victorians, like touted being all prim and proper, they were freaky. Oh, they got down. Oh, yeah. And home, like, homosexuality was very much something that was like, it was a thing. It wasn't acknowledged publicly. But like, surely before the Victorian like this era came around, it was way more wildly accepted. But like as this came around, it was like, guys yet don't get caught because it's gonna be a bad time. Even though very much there was the Oh, but they're just close their close friends. Like there was a little bit more leeway. So they actually do kind of explain that in the book. And I found that very well done. I will say, so she just kind of have this like, okay, I get it like it's not I'm not going to judge it's not weird. It's fine. She's just kind of like brushes it aside. So Lucy throughout all this time, she's studying this text that she has in French or whatever, and she's trying to figure out so she they're going to basically go to this dinner with the polite Science Society, which if that's not the most Victorian society name ever, I don't know what is. Um, it makes me uncomfortable just hearing it. Oh, it should the main dudes an asshole. So they're gonna go to this like dinner. And that's where Lady Catherine is going to put Lucy up as like, This is who I'm supporting for this translation job. So Lucy wants to kind of bring an example of like, okay, maybe I'll do like the first chapter or something. So she's working on it, and she's trying to figure out how she wants to kind of like, make a mark and like stand out a little bit. So she decides that instead of just translating this work, she's going to translate it and then also kind of expand it a little bit. And make it a little more accessible for people that maybe don't have that like scientific background. So that you know, go back and explain like, Oh, here's this new thing, but this is what it was built on. So You can like understand where it's coming from that kind of thing.
Unknown:Making herself more reputable for them. Yeah,
Rachel:she's she's making it so that spoilers they name it the ladies guide to celestial mechanics. So like it's for people who like have never had all of the schooling and stuff that you might need originally to understand this kind of thing and makes my gay little heart melt a little fuzzy. She's doing it because she likes So Catherine is a when I said embroidery, she is like an artist with embroidery. She is amazing. So everything in our house is like all embroidered with things from exotic lands that she's seen. So like there's like pineapple, ginger, and all these plants and like all these things that are just exotic and amazing. And they look like paintings kind of thing. And so like Lucy was having her tell her about all these things. And she's like, I think that she would love this stuff. But she's never had an opportunity to learn it. So she's doing it for Katherine. Oh, like this kind of her inspiration. Fuzzy heart. Let's go. All right. scene to the dinner. So we're going to dinner the polite Science Society. And Lucy's nervous, obviously. But she brings her draft with her and Catherine's like, it'll be fine. Secretly Catherine's like, Oh, they've never done this whole women thing before. It'll be fine. It's probably fine. Um, so Katherine puts her forward as a possible fellow. And she's sort of competing against this other dude whose daddy is rich and important. So he's being put forth as a fellow and then another guy who has an actual, like, scientific reputation, who is a very wholesome being. He's wonderful. To also help with it. And so they put forth Katherine and Lucy. And the main dude is like, well, I, I appreciate smart. I appreciate what you're trying to do. But no, it's not really done. And she's like, well, but would you please like here? I brought an example. Like, please look at my work. And he she sets it on the table, and he just throws it to the ground. Ah, yes. Oh, what an ass. Oh, I hate him. He's so bad. Oh, and no, Catherine. Go girl stands up. It is like, No, I am no monitor funding this project, you can find your own money. And I am fully putting my money behind this woman who's going to do the whole project for me and imagining
Unknown:her doing like the wolf Smith mean to lose money.
Rachel:Right. Yeah, she's, I. It's so fun. Like, the characters are really well developed in this book. And one thing that like Katherine, it's very interesting to see how the author wrote her is like, yeah, she went through hell with her husband. Like, he just did not give a shit about her. She was a means to an end because she had money. And so she's kind of like, she has all this prim and proper training, and she's very calm, cool and collected, and she can take a lot of shit. But every once in a while something happens. And she's like, No, no, this is not happening. And I love good. Put your foot down woman She's so great. So they storm off. And she is like, how long do you think it would take you to do this? Because you're gonna stay in my house and I'm gonna pay you through all of it. And I'm supporting you and I'm publishing it and this is going to be great. And Lucy's. Okay.
Unknown:She really did tell them to fuck her at all.
Rachel:Yeah, right off.
Unknown:She went full Mama Bear.
Rachel:She went 100% Did
Unknown:I will say Don't say mama bear because they're gonna get it on later. And that's just weird. Yeah, sorry. That is kind of the point of this book, isn't it?
Rachel:Yeah. Now I'm fine. What's what's another analogy? That's the question.
Unknown:She went for.
Rachel:boss bitch. That's better. Word. Yeah, boss, bitch. I'll take it. So, so Lucy's kind of like in shock, but sure enough, they're there say like, she's staying and they're like starting to actually build a little bit of a friendship. And they end up going and visiting a woman named It's Aunt Kelmarsh is her name and she is Catherine's aunt and this is like, I I'm kind of they do a really good job on this book of not like everything isn't happening in two days. Like this is a couple weeks kind of thing. So there is like time for them to become friends and actually start to like, build this rapport and everything. They like have dinner together every night. They have tea, like they keep each other company during the day like they're spending a lot of time together. But they go and visit Katherine's on, on Kelmarsh and actually, she is also asked A lot of the polite society, Science Society, like she was there with the whole thing with losing Katherine, because she is a botanist in her own like she on her own. They don't recognize her, obviously. But she is a very good body girl. And so she she is not when I say she's Catherine's on she is aunt by marriage. So she's not directly related to Katherine. She married Catherine's uncle, I guess. Yeah. Does that make sense? That's how it works. Yes, but it matters. Yes, it matters for a hot minute. Um, so they go and have I think it's actually it's tea and they're like going through the garden that she has, it's a beautiful garden, and they show her this like, on Kelmarsh who is like the sassiest old lady ever. I love her. She takes no shit from anybody. She chose them this thing that she has in her garden. And it's like this, this like, it's called the shell grotto. And it's this space that's like the into the walls have been placed all of these fossils and shells. And they've been designed in this, like swirling patterns and everything. And what they are is they are pieces of artifacts that Katherine's mother had collected, because her mother was a scientist, like love to collect all of these scientific artifacts, everything that she had taken and made this thing. And Kelmarsh and Lucy get to talking. And it's like they have an immediate understanding of I know what you went through. I'm so sorry. You lost this woman that you loved, like an Catherine's kind of on the outside like what is I don't understand what's happening. And Kelmarsh kind of makes this side comment that just drops on Catherine like the world is shattering open of this is my monument to your mother. Oh, because she didn't want to marry her uncle there's so much gay in this book. It's
Unknown:there's a lot
Rachel:happening. There's so much happening. I a lot of these are like these little like, it's just sprinkled in. But it's I feel like it's important for me to mention these things because like it
Unknown:when it's just like, peppered in here and there, it makes it more authentic, right, it makes it feel more real than just like lesbian in your face lesbian.
Rachel:And it's the first time Catherine sort of has this like, it's this earth shattering moment of a woman can love another woman. Like logically she knew that like women can have sex together. But it's this moment of oh, oh, there can be a relationship there that she just like, which like I get it not realizing that that's an option. I get that I was there at one point. When Uh huh.
Unknown:What? Right What? You mean society keeps telling me not to put I can but I
Rachel:can Oh my god. This Changes Everything changes everything. Yeah. So she has this like super shocking realization and she also has the realization that oh, that's why I was attracted to that one lady on that one expedition or why I wanted to spend so much time around her. Oh, my glitch, like, if you realize you are any sort of not just home homeless, I learned homosexual hetero sorry, later on in life and have that moment of oh, and then you look back in your past or like, Oh, she has those moments, which everything just clicks and can relate to. Yeah. And then the other realization, a lot of realizations one right after the other of Oh, I like Lucy. Oh, but but she's still kind of getting over this past woman that she's been with that she like was in love with and I don't think it's right for me to like, push that and what if she doesn't like me back? You know what I could do? I'm gonna make her something. I'm gonna make her gift. So she knowing that Lucy doesn't have a lot of clothes. She starts working on a new shawl for Lucy embroidery. And it's this like, it is basically a map of the night sky. Like a star chart in this shawl and she worked on it for weeks and like, is keeping Lucy company but then also like sneaking off to work on this thing. It's so cute. So wholesome. It is. Oh, this is so wholesome. I'm so happy. So wholesome. I love it so much. Oh my god. I will say this is weird. I don't know if we've had a gay romance novel that hasn't been wholesome. We've had so many like hetero like normative romances that are real problematic. We haven't had a gay one that's problematic yet. was the
Unknown:first one not problematic. It all it was from that episode was the sex. No, actually,
Rachel:it was fine. They had a really good health They respect for each other. Good see only pro guys right?
Unknown:Gays can save the day.
Rachel:That shirt gays can save. The only problematic thing we had was we had one where they were at like, they were forming a gay relationship at a pray the gay away camp, but the gag relationship was not the browser.
Unknown:Yep. Yep. Remember that? Yeah. Yeah. The location was then yeah, that's the problem.
Rachel:Exactly. Yeah. So I just like, I'm happy about that. That's good. Guys. Good. Gays. Great.
Unknown:Gay is good. Hey. That was a sticker I saw today.
Rachel:Oh, that's even better. Um, so she worked on this for weeks. And Lucy is during this entire time translating this book. And she gets like a couple chapters in and everything or the first chapter done. And she asks Catherine to read over it. And Katherine does and she's like, wow, like, I didn't know that this this book was so like eloquent and so easy to understand. Like, this is really interesting. It's not something I think I pursued but like it's really interesting. And Lucy's like, well, that's not maybe exactly the entire book. I wrote a lot of that. Actually. I expanded on it. Kind of like, what you wrote this. Yeah. I kind of maybe thought about explaining it to you when I was writing it. Oh, and so Catherine is like, I made you this gift. And then they smooth it's even better, because she gives this gift in its beauty. A beautiful shot. She gives this gift to Lucy. And Lucy is like, has this oh, oh. Oh, can I kiss you? Like, I would like that. Yes. Oh.
Unknown:Oh, nuchal to ask me next time. God bless your husband
Rachel:is so so much. Oh, god. Okay.
Unknown:And one thing I'm excited about with this is like, I love reading books, where the romance is new to one of the characters like Katherine's been married, she's been through that whole ordeal. But this is all new and exciting. And like, you get the butterflies reading it and listening to it. In our case,
Rachel:I like when it's that case. But it's not the one of them is a virgin and just doesn't know. Yes. Like I personally prefer romance novels. We're both of them have been around the block as it were. Mm hmm. But it's nice to like, have someone be discovering the love part of it. Or like just the like interest another human that appreciates them and respects them part of it that they've never experienced before. And it's like, Yes, this is like therapy. It's like watching someone go through therapy and get like, bro, it's wonderful. I love it. Alright, so and so over dinner, Catherine? very casually, like, so casually. It's just like, Oh, yes, I'm so you enjoyed the show that I made you would you perhaps be interested in seeing the my my what's it's like an example book of my my embroidery book that I haven't fully okay. Yeah, kind of like that. It's in my room. Oh, show you after dinner if yes, hello. Would you like to come see my embroidery? It's in my bedroom.
Unknown:I have it girl. I would like to invite you to a party. The party is in my hands. I feel like there's a scissor joke in there somewhere. But I can't quite make that work.
Rachel:Oh, it's just I'll bring the scissors Oh, it's so good. It's so good. Beautiful. So she does she actually goes up to Catherine's bedroom after dinner. Catherine dismisses her maid, which also like another prop to this book. doesn't shy away from the fact that there are brown people in England at this time. Really weird, right?
Unknown:Yeah. I've been reading a lot of historical fiction and that is not the case. No, it's usually not.
Rachel:But some of her like her like Lady lady and waiting lady. I don't know the name for that one is a African woman. I think she's right. She might be from the Caribbean. I don't remember It's I don't know if it actually specifically says it, but she is darker skinned, which is awesome. And she's Yes. Oh, good. So you very much get the vibe that like, yeah, they still have the like, servant, Master kind of situation but they're like, kind of friends as much as that situation in that time would allow. It's it's better than you would expect better than expected
Unknown:it's usually like the the books that I've been reading the like, ladies in waiting or the the help they're like extended family.
Rachel:Yeah and that's kind of the the vibe that you get because Catherine just like legitimately cares about the people that she lives with because like she's living with them and is around them all the time and actually gives a shit weird novel concept.
Unknown:She's a decent human being. Yes,
Rachel:we are. Um, so they she does actually I will say so they go to the bedroom to look at this portfolio thing. And they do. Katherine shows her her portfolio. And it's amazing like she were this is like embroidery, but she has like, for instance, their first Oh,
Unknown:you're talking about literal literally. Oh, really good.
Rachel:Would you like to see my portfolio? Baby? I mean, so they did, but she does actually show her her like literal portfolio embroidery stuff. And it's like from her first. From her first voyage. She did like portraits of all the crew. And it's like full portraits in embroidery and like, Wow, all the stuff. She's like, the thing that they talk a lot about the horrors of colonialism, and like imperialism and all that. And she's like, this is the princess of this nation that we went and saw. She's not there anymore. Like most of these people died. We did this like she's like, obviously, like was really affected by this. And like, Katherine, I love you. You get it because me chills. But she also has a portrait of her husband, her late husband. So that's fun to like, this guy's dead. Yeah, it's fine. And you get kind of like, you start to get Katherine's background of like, he really didn't care much. He only cared about like being like having a major scientific something that he discovered. And she was just there to help kind of thing which like, she was a little bit of that time. It's not out of the question. But still, it's like, she wasn't treated well. But so they after that, they do start smooching. They have a nice heart to heart. They start smooching and you can tell Catherine is starting to like, get maybe a little bit almost like anxious, excited. And so like, you know, there's some some booby touching. And Catherine is kind of freaked are like, sorry, Catherine is the one that does it she instigates and Lucy's like, oh, and she's like, I'm sorry, was that too fast? She's like, not for me. But is this too fast for you? And she's like, well, I, I don't know. Like, I'm excited. But I'm also nervous. Unless she's like, well, then we stop. Because see, we only need to do this when you're ready to do this. I want you to be more excited than like anxious about this. You should this should be something you really want to do and are 100% on board with.
Unknown:So far, the best part about this book? Is that open communication?
Rachel:Well, it does break down a little bit. But as far as sex goes really good about that.
Unknown:You can't have a book unless someone didn't tell someone something.
Rachel:Yeah. And it's, it's, it's done in a realistic way. I will say that. So they actually just stop and their relationship sort of like starts to build now that they both know that like, Oh, she likes me. She likes me Ooh, kind of thing. So as Lucy continues to do this translation, and after a little while, they do blink. It just takes like, like they take their time, like every day is like Lucy goes back to her apartment, her room pretty much every day after dinner. And just like they get a little bit further and a little bit further until both are comfortable enough that they actually have sex. So like. Yes. Oh, yes. This is me say no, it's so good. So let's get into a mini montage. Just a little bit. Oh, oh, mini montage of their relationship kind of developing. So they are spending a lot of time together. Lucy has been recommended several times by the one like wholesome dude, the good of the guy of the two that we're actually going to be working on this translation instead of her. He gets he leaves the translation because other people are being assholes. And so he's talking to Lucy about her translation. And he's like, Hey, have you sent your work to this like em? Hola. Ron is the only Iran, it's called the old Iran is like the author, whatever. Have you sent it to them, so that they can look over it and like say, Hey, I'm doing this translation, I'm going to publish it in English in London. She's like, Guys, I will, she's very nervous about it, real nervous about it. So she's kind of like starting to get pressure from that, you get a little more of the background and the history of both Katherine Lucy and like Lucy with pris, and like, her brother and her like, her dad tried to get her brother into science and her into art, and they ended up going the opposite direction. So like her brother's an artist, she did all the science stuff, like they're kind of relationship together. And then you get like, Katherine with all of her travels all over the world, with this man that just didn't give a shit. So she, because of that, she like found ways to do her own documentation in the form of all this embroidery, which is how she like, gained her skill, so much of like, doing portraits of the whole crew, and like remembering the ones that died in the journey, and like doing portraits of all are like pictures, studies of all these plants, and all this flora and fauna they found and like, her book is like, from all over the world, she did a map of like, their entire journey kind of thing. Like, wow, she just documented everything. So she is I mean, and you also start to learn that, like, she doesn't see what she does as being particularly special, despite the fact that it's like, very good. And she's like, she gets actually and you guys feel this is also very relatable, kind of like mad and upset when someone calls her an artist, because she's like, No, I'm not No, no, I'm not an artist. No. Dairy. That complements. Exactly, yeah. So you kind of get that that in her background. And let's see, oh, at one point. So the day after they have sex. She had dismissed her serving the night before and said, Oh, Lucy will help me don't worry. And so servant came back in in the morning, and Lucy was still there. We'll see like, goes to leave. And the servant comes back and she's like, so can I ask you a personal question? Kevin's like, yeah, just like, is the only reason you sent me away? So that to hide the affair that you guys were having? Yeah. You're not gonna fire me? Oh, you're just trying to get she's like, Oh, it's fine. Oh, go for it. Have a good time. Please don't fire me though.
Unknown:The name is Tiffany.
Rachel:Let me help me. Please tell me that you still like? Exactly. So let's see, there's that. But we also start to get some cracks happening. So like they're getting very close in a relationship. Like they really start to like really develop feelings for each other. But you also start to see like, for instance, they go to an art show that Lucy's brother is part of, and they're like talking about the art and everything and and Katherine gets actually meet Lucy's brother and a lot of like, her friends and all this stuff. And she's talking to people and they're talking about like, oh, yeah, like those two, you know, they might marry because, you know, Lucy is really gonna, you know, do something and like, all this stuff, and Catherine is starting to get this understanding or like, self doubt, essentially of like, well, she has to be with someone like she can't be with me obviously, like, and why would she want to be I'm just a stuffy like, you know, widow that, you know, doesn't really do anything during the day and like, like, it's a lot of self doubt, starts to couches, Wheedle it very relatable to boy is myth. And Lucy also starts to like, get a little bit of doubt, too. But hers is more along the lines of like, she understands that her relationship with Katherine at least financially right now, because Catherine is supporting her. But it's not an equal. They're not on equal footing. Like Lucy has very little money. Catherine is paying for everything. And so she's like, starting this affair with this really rich woman. And she has nothing feels like she has nothing to bring to the table. Right? So that it's like some cracks are kind of starting, that they're not talking about which I understand why they're not. Right, if that makes sense. Like it's
Unknown:yeah, like a new relationship. You don't want to like, expose all your insecurities right out the gate. Exactly.
Rachel:Exactly. So Lucy has been working on this translation for months at this point. And she finishes it like she has an in hand. She's getting toward the end of this translation. And she gets a letter from homeboy the head of the polite society Science Society. who's like, hey, you know, I'm really sorry about I'm really sorry that we had such a difficult interaction before you come to tea.
Unknown:What do you want?
Rachel:He's like, what do you what? Yeah, she goes to tea with him. And he's like, luck. We may have differences, but you know, he would it would you have a duty to science to to benefit this other translation that we're doing and like, you know, you could really make great contributions to everything. And it's just like, your guy fucked it up, didn't he? Wow. Ah, is my name gonna be on that? If I come in and save it? Oh, we'll see. Yeah, no, fuck that shit. I'm out. Good for you. Right. And Catherine is just livid. When they get back. She's like, walking around, like breaks the teak Righteous Fury. This is bullshit. So instead, they go to a publisher. And Catherine goes full on like, businesswoman mode boss as pitch, if you will of like, we want to publish this. Well, but I've never we don't really you publish a magazine for women, don't you? Yes. Well, why? Why don't we serialize it? We could do it? No. How about I put the cost? Oh, so you're gonna pay for it? Yeah. And does that mean you get most of the or the profits? Well, I get most of them, obviously, you'll get some of them. It's like full on negotiate. And at the end of it, she is good business, right. And at the end of it, sure enough, they negotiate, there's going to be a run of print for this novel. And it's just like deep blue cover, which is why the cover of this book should be blue. Hello, and welcome to my TED Talk. And it's printed, and it kind of so make your heart fuzzy. Lucy and Catherine are part of a book club. I go together on like, Wednesdays or something.
Unknown:And I didn't know a couple of them.
Rachel:Club promised to read Lucy's book when it was published. And they go to the book club and they're like, You made us go all over the frickin city to find this book. And she's like, Oh my god, they said they were gonna do like a normal print run of it. And like there was gonna be like, no, no, they were all sold out. We couldn't find it out. We had to share one book. So so we're book essentially goes viral in Victoria. And it sells like crazy. She makes so much money, she's able to go out and buy a bunch of actual clothes, like dresses and stuff that aren't morning clothes. Like, she like, has money now. She is an established woman. But she's still staying. Catherine, obviously. I mean, don't don't stray too far from the honey baby. Right? Well, so at one point though, they're walking down the street. And she's seeing her books and like the Caesar book in the store and everything and it's all the rage. And I walk past this print shop. And notice there's a painting in the window of the print shop that is and I should say, on this book, it says L mu county it doesn't have her first name. She specifically she's like I'm going to use my entire first name when I publish a book that is my entire only my work not translated and adapted. Right? She walks by printshop and there is a portrait of her. And it's titled, like El McHale like it is outing her essentially as a woman who wrote this book and the portrait itself like she specifically makes note that like all of her features are like softened and she's wearing this flowy dress and it's all very like feminine everything and then there's like the ghost of her father in the background who very much has not been like made pretty and everything and like she thought she basically has this thought of is this what fainting feels like and then wakes up in the middle of brandy that Catherine is like handing her because she made sure she got home. And her brother did it. Her brother used her to her Yeah. to like get his name out there. She's not pleased and so no because of that they make note that like all of this fan mail that she's been getting the tone shifts right it shifts from like, Oh, you're so great. Like this is amazing too. Like, Oh honey did such a good job like that kind of thing. And very patronizing. And so Catherine as well as some like threats and everything so Catherine starts like screening her mail like and she tells me like I'm gonna I'm you don't need to deal with this. I will deal with this. This is Not your problems are like screens the male so she doesn't have to look at the bad shit. And they're like, we should go on a holiday. Why don't we go get away? Let's go on a holiday. So gave me the vacation. Um, they ended up going to back to Lucy's house, like in, in the country because she's like, Well, my brother's not going to be there for a while and it's going to be just empty. Why don't why don't we just go there? So they do they go to the country and have a little little vacation in the country and have lots of sex. And Lucy shows her how to do observations like in the little observatory that they have. And they meet Chris and her husband. Oh, okay. Oh, no, they go to dinner with them. And Catherine? Oh yeah, during the dinner, it comes out that like, presses husband knows that press is gay. And he's, it's actually very like it comes across as very sad. Because like, he knows and he wants to support her but he knows that he can't and also that she doesn't love him. Oh, and but he was like, in love with her. Like it's it's just the little like relationships that just get inserted in it's just like, oh my god, rip my heart out. Why don't shit Jesus Christ. Yeah, but Lucy actually sees this as like, okay, like, the past is wrapped up. Like I'm feeling good about this. Like, I am. Pretty much in love with Katherine like, this is fine. I don't I'm not in love with this anymore. So like, she feels actually pretty good about it. And I will say though, this also kind of like, again, kind of seeds some some doubts in Katherine. And it's entirely like, like self doubting kind of thing. So she's still like, yeah, yeah, I know. But what if she still likes press and like, you know, a lot of self doubt. For girl, girl, I get it. So Lucy's brother does reach out to Lucy and his, like, wants to meet with her. When they get back to London. Fuck off. And Catherine is like, No, you need to have see him in this room. And just the coldest and most sterile of all of my receiving rooms. And it's perfect for you. And this is like, no do the garden or whatever. And so her brother comes over and he walks in. He's like, I have been an ass and I'm so sorry. Oh, like he realizes what he did was wrong. And he like they have this moment. But again, see is sowing more doubts. He's talking about, like, I know, you have this. She's your patron or whatever. But I just want you to know, I want to make sure you're safe. You're protected. Because sometimes when patrons like they want certain things, you can't say no, like, I want to make sure you are in control of you. And like all this stuff like he, he means well, it does not do good things for Lucy. So she started to feel like she's essentially and can't be her own person and is very much indebted and like, feels like she's starting to like have this whole like, do I love Katherine or is she going to do everything she can to keep me and am I like a trapped bird kind of thing. Like it's it's this Yeah. Doubts, so many doubts. So she also a little bit later, it gets a letter from Chris. And Catherine sees this letter. Oh, she's screaming. And Catherine has this moment of like, I shouldn't open it.
Unknown:And then opens it reads
Rachel:starts reading and it's just a very innocuous like, Oh, I'm in town like we should see each other like, you know, it'd be so nice to catch up. And Catherine is like Lucy comes home and Catherine's like, I'm so sorry. I I was screening your male she's like, but it was open and you read it, didn't you? And she's like, yes. And like Lucy's mad, obviously. But she reads it and Lucy flies off the handle. Because loot Priscilla and press and Lucy used to writing code because Chris's parents would read all of Chris's letters. So what the letter is actually saying is I still love. Oh, no. Oh, yeah. bad, huh? Yeah, so Lucy is rightly livid. And she's like, i i And Kevin's like, are you going to go see her? She's like, Yes, I have to and Catherine at this point is like devastated. Like Catherine. This is like the culmination of Catherine's all of the self doubt all of this like, she's gonna Well, it was good while it lasted but she's gonna leave like, you know, she's this woman still loves her kind of thing. And she's like, well, I don't want her in my house. And Lucy's like the conversation that I need to have would be best done in private. And she's like, Okay, well then I will get out of the house while this happens. And it's very much her like kind of like making concessions to like okay, well, it's over but I'm gonna just make this as easy as possible. So she from part of a side plot that like Lucy has been helping her kind of gain her feet as an artist and like realize she is an artist. She is going to the same publisher because she is is going to create this book of like patterns, essentially. So she is doing her own projects and like coming up with her own things to do and kind of becoming her own person, which is nice. But she So Lucy meets with Paris and Paris is a bitch. She's just like, well, but I know you missed me. And now I'm more established. So we can have this little fling and Lucy's like, no, no, you're an asshole to me. You can't have your cake and eat it to impress is like super into like, but well, but I know you want it come here. She's like, like, Prince is a major as well. And so she like kicks press out of the home. And it's like, no, this is not happening. This is not okay. And it's like, this is bullshit. It's kind of it's hilarious. She's like, goes to like, the Butler has been like giving Lucy's side i because he also kind of thinks that he's, she's going to, like, hurt Catherine's like feelings. And so she like is going off at press about I do not love you anymore. You do not I am not you are not entitled to me. I am entitled to make my own decisions and all this stuff. And she goes to open the door to call for the butler and he just standing there with her bonnet. She's like, it isn't Yeah, your household is conspiring to like, No kiss to just do it great. Um, and so Catherine comes home. And Lucy obviously is like super, like emotionally just ravaged by this, like, this was a huge thing. And they kind of have a little bit of blowout at this point. Because like, Catherine comes home, she wasn't expecting Lucy to be there. And so she is and Lucy finally comes out with like, I don't want to be beholden to you. Like, I'm so tired of like having someone expect me to be there's like that kind of thing. And like it kind of blows up. And so Katherine in I think a justifiable move is like, Okay, well, then you need to move out. Because she's trying to protect herself, right? Because she still thinks that Lucy doesn't want to stay with her. Yeah, and Lucy really just wants to stay with some. So it's like, so she's like, Okay, I will go find an apartment by the university. And she goes to search for an apartment. And she heads to the university. While she's at the university, she is strict getting weird looks from people not like the normal like, Oh, it's a woman kind of looks but like, outright vindictive, looks like people are mad at her. And so she finally goes in to some like the guy who like she knows and is friends with and he's like, Oh, you haven't seen it. And shows her a publication from the polite Science Society, namely from the father of the rich kid that got into do this translation is fucking it up because he's rich. Employing heavily that none of Lucy's work is Lucy's, it was her father's she just published it. Which ruins her reputation. Because this is like the society like a fellow of the society like this. ruins her. And so she like yeat. She runs. She's like, I can't handle that. I can't do this. And she's running away. And her another one of her friends, the guy who was on the translation, but left, like who couldn't put up with it. Yeah, he finds her. And he's like, I have maybe a little bit of more bad news. I wrote to Hola, Ron, and told them about your book. And Lucy's like you did what? And he's like, I had to, you're making a lot of money off of this. And it's not entirely yours. Like, this is kind of plagiarist. She's like, Oh, my God, you're right. God damn. And he's like, but, but I invited them to this big society dinner that happens every year in like, a week, a month and a half. And she's like you did white? He's like, Yeah, you have to show up. You guys are gonna have to, like, debate science together. To make sure that people know that this is your book, you know that right? And she's like, I haven't read half of what this person has wrote. Oh, my God, I'm gonna have to be studying constantly for the next like, six weeks straight. I can't get an apartment. I need I need a library. I need Catherine's library. I really hope it's not going to be awkward. I have to panic. So she had goes back to Catherine's like, I'm so sorry. But I have to stay here. I have to do this and Catherine's like, Okay. What is happened? Neither of them know what's happening at this point. So middle of the night Catherine has woken up because she just hears thump, thump. Thump. So she puts on a dressing gown goes down to the library, and Lucy He is up on a ladder at the very top of one of the stacks just dropping books onto the ground.
Unknown:Experiment and gravity.
Rachel:Catherine's like, what are you doing? And Lucy is like those lying cheating bastards. They told me that women weren't fellows. They told me women didn't publish science, this. And she's pulling out all of the publications from years of polite Science Society, like works. And there are so many women in the past that have published because remember, in Kelmarsh, this time, it was so much more accepted for women to be together. And for women to do science and stuff. And then all of a sudden Victorian ideals kind of took over and it all got clamped down. So there's all these women that had like were published in the society that no one just ever mentions. And she's like, and she's going off the handle by like, I the reason sure I injured all of this bullshit of people like laughing at me and talking by my back because I thought I was the only one and I thought I was the first one doing it. And I thought that, well, yeah, this sucks, but maybe I'm paving the way. Maybe other people will join me when in reality, I was part of all women like she, it's like this, like I'm empowered. But also I feel cheated like this, like kind of thing. Apps, right. And so like, she's kind of going off. And at one point like Catherine's like, she's like, I just, I just want to be part of something. And Kevin's like, you could be part of us and they have sex on the library floor.
Unknown:Oh my God dreams.
Rachel:Dreams are made. It's It's so good. It's so good. Oh, my God, y'all. Um, and so they totally they are back in it, baby. They're back together. They're both supporting each other. And basically, Catherine is just like doing everything she can to be like, you need some tea. Are you going to be up late again tonight? What can I do to help you I know, I can't read things for you. But you just you keep going. And so she sneaks away in her project. It's kind of like, I didn't actually put this together until just now it's kind of like the first time they're together. In that Lucy's doing all this work. And Katherine kind of like, sneaks off. And what she does is she starts making a list of all of these women that have published from these books, and search writing to them to find okay, do they still live there? Are they alive? Like can I tell? Are they still working? What can we do like let's let's create this collective and starts reaching out to people which is awesome.
Unknown:Come to share first, like females cinnamon roll because they're both just cinnamon rolls. And I love
Rachel:this. So let's roll around to the big day, the day of the dinner, where m Ola Ron is going to show up and I should mention has been inducted as a foreign fellow. So a fellow in the society from another country right from France. And this third time this like, wholesome dude that our boy that we like, kind of has hinted like maybe like, I have suspicions, but I'm not sure. And she's like, Well, what do you what are you talking about? And I will say, so the show up at the society. And our friend introduces Lucy and Catherine, please meet Madame Ola. Ron, who is a dark skinned woman. Oh, that wrote this book. And the society has already instated her as a fellow and none of them know.
Unknown:But yes, do
Rachel:you want your justice to be because it's about to be real big. Oh,
Unknown:my justice bonus.
Rachel:So they go into this dinner, and Lucy specifically doesn't go to receipt. Because she's like, I gotta see this dude's reaction. And she just stands there and watches as he's introduced to this woman who has both dark skin darker like complexion is how she's described. And a woman and you see his uncle white white as a sheet, but he can't do anything. It's already been done. So he's forced to a dinner like she is forced to like sit next to the rich asshole that like essentially cast her in doubt, Lucien doubt, and they have this conversation and like she is like, he's like, Yeah, you know, women and like imposters and all this stuff. It's just like, Yeah, and he's like, how does it feel to be the only person to be doubted and like the Like, like, called out and like, you know an imposter in this society. And she's like, oh, oh, but I wasn't. And so it's because she's read all of the previous publications from the Science Society and she's like, Oh, this man, plagiarize this, this and this Oh, and this guy, he did this as this, it just starts pulling out shit. And so really they are this do the main the head of the society has to introduce Madame Ola on to the society. And everyone's like what? Yes and and I believe that Lucy, we were going to have some conversations about about your book. And this whole thing has been like, loose you realize that she's done something wrong. And there's this heavy emphasis on like, there, our boy was like, Hey, are you I think we can make this work. Are you able to admit that you're wrong and loose? He's like, Well, my father always said that astronomers spend most of their time being wrong, and I agree with him. So I can admit that I'm wrong. And I'm willing to own up to the fact that I didn't plagiarize. I didn't necessarily plagiarize. Yeah, like I launched off of someone's work. I did not give them credit. I'm willing to say that and Madonna loron is like, Okay, well, I have a lot of other books do you want to translate those as long as we work together? But so they still have to get up and debate in front of everything. So they stand up and everyone is like, all the like, dudes are still ready for her to just be tear torn to shreds. And Madame Aleron starts asking why did you write this book? Why did you like expand on my text? And she's like, Oh, well, um, I wanted to make it accessible to everybody like and go like, is able to like justify why she did this. And she's like, I'm not like ask her questions that like Lucy's able to kind of go off on this thing of like, everyone should be able to do this because science is built on other people. Like we are all building on one another. Honestly, my science heart just like, bro, oh my god. And she's like, okay, well what if I told you that I did find a mistake when I was reviewing your book and she's like, Oh, well, I I'm so sorry. If I did like if you accept a revision I will absolutely print one like all this. Yes. I found that when I was writing my version of the book I made this error and you actually fixed it in your translation so I'm gonna need to make just loses its ma Oh, and Catherine's back just cracking up good. So it goes off amazingly like Lucy is obviously still not her in our boy are not still are still not fellows in the society, but like, their, that's their next goal. They're like, Oh, we can do this. If you get in first you support me if I get in first. I'll support you. Like, they make a pact. And it all goes so and it's wonderful. And unit finding out that the head of the society, his sister was published in the society and he like, yeah, yeah. But he sees the error of his ways. He it's very misguided and like, Well, I knew that people were going to like put her under more scrutiny. So I dissuaded her. So to protect her and Lucy's like, to She asked you to do that. Well, no, but then why did you do it? And like he like, oh, because like, just so good to back at Catholic they, so they're like, talking about stuff and Catherines? Like, look, I know that you have work now like work that is pay you're being paid for like this is you have a career essentially that you don't you know, I have a proposition for you. And looses like, Okay, what? Well, you know, those women that were published? Well, while you were studying, I know you were kind of single minded on that. I know, a lot of responses. A lot of them wrote children's books, a lot of them are still studying. A lot of them did all this stuff. And Lucy's just like mind blown like you did what? Yeah, I got a lot of responses. Um, and it's really a shame that there's no avenue for these women to be able to publish, like you were able to publish your book. What if maybe, we pool both of our money because you're now a woman if means, and create a fund. Now, it's going to take a lot of time, we'll have to work together quite often in order to get all of this, you know, up and running and get all the logistics going. And, of course, it's going to bind us together legally, publicly, financially, probably forever. But
Unknown:anything I'm familiar with.
Rachel:It's like this close to marriage, just making good it's just like, good stuff. I want to read this book and it was so good, right? Can we just take a hot minute to appreciate making the best out of a situation as far as Victorian England and not being able to do that, like, publicly and also, just the massive fuck you to the patriarchy that is yes. God as the fact
Unknown:that it wasn't even just like, I'm going to make my name known and I'm going to get justice for myself. It was all those women and then the the French author. Oh, I just I'm so happy. We
Rachel:understand that this is not its historical fiction, we'll say, but it was real good historical fiction. Oh my god. Yeah.
Unknown:Thank you for bringing that into our lives. I
Rachel:really want to read the other ones now. It was so good.
Unknown:I may have, you know, downloaded it to Kindle. About halfway through. It's fine.
Rachel:Oh, my God, no, this one I I am so glad that we kicked off pride with a fantastic book. This one was like, and what's the cover? I feel like it's another one of those things like the the one Victorian, like gay romance novel that we did that same kind of thing where the cover is like, okay, it's like, two dudes or two chicks or whatever that are definitely about to get it on. This is going to be awful. And then you read it. And you're like, Y'all, I'm not ready for this. I was not prepared.
Unknown:Right? That was a good one is so shoot, it makes me like, rethink all the books I've read lately. Like, I wasn't, I was wasting my time,
Rachel:considering what our last couple books have been. So I was very, very pleasantly surprised with this one. And I mean, honestly, how would the name like the latest guide to celestial mechanics? How could you not? It's such a good name. Alright, let's get into some ratings. Um, yeah, so um, you know, good, give it 10s I really liked it.
Unknown:I was about to say like, this is just a formality. At this point. We know.
Rachel:Lucy, Lucy and Catherine both have really, really well established backstories. And like I really and there's, it makes sense that they like they lift each other up. They very much both of them are greater than the sum of their parts, which is like what you want in a relationship, right like that you should like support each other and they do a really good job of that. I feel like the miscommunication was really understandable. And they did a good job of making it feel real. Not like one of those. I swear it's not what it looks like. It's definitely Yeah, looks like and storms off and that kind of dumb. It's not one of those it made sense. plotline. I mean, sure. It's self serving, but fuck the patriarchy. And science. I loved it. Um, so 1010 10 Sex was pretty good. Not gonna lie. Yes, I was. I've never really read like written out like lesbian sex before. And I was reading it and I was like, no good to know. I am actually bisexual. Yeah, I'm into this that ever doubted, but you know.
Unknown:Yeah, absolutely. Real good.
Rachel:And I consent also. Oh, my God, that consent? Nah. Um, what else do we got? Plot was good. Sex was good. They were good. Overall, good. I think that's all of it. Yeah, 1010, baby. It was so good.
Unknown:I can't wait to read it. Even knowing how it turns out. I'm going to enjoy the
Rachel:Yes, fantastic. Yeah, this was the happiest start to pride. I think we could have done Happy Pride, everybody. Thank you guys so much for hanging out. I appreciate it.
Unknown:No problem. Thank you for having us, honey. Um,
Rachel:I think that's I don't think we got it. Hey, y'all enjoy your pride. No matter what you are. She he they not decided everything. If you're everything. I love you.
Unknown:Right. If you're everything Hey, I'm so into that I'm married. Gotta keep reminding myself that
Rachel:window shopping. It's important. Yes. And yeah, you everyone you do you just That's my pride slogan. Here do you everyone do you? That's fine. Oh, thank you ala near you. Do you see your song a love of the album be held? Boom. It's a Bob I love All right. Oh, y'all want to pull your pluggable one more time? Absolutely. Rebecca
Unknown:volunteered again. For the ladies of strange. We're on Instagram, Twitter, and I should probably start with both the podcast portion of that, huh? Yeah, we're available just booking. Our podcast. Podcasts are available wherever you listen to podcasts. Look us up. We have fun. We even have a at least one episode with your other favorite co hosts. Oh, hi guys. I adopted everybody. Rachel and Margie did join us during one episode. Oh, it was so much fun. We talked about space we did.
Rachel:Great throughlines I'm also both of us have discords so like, check that out. Do it's nice. Yeah. Well, I could we talk about books and stuff. And y'all talk about science and memes and complimenting Tiffany and it's awesome. You love it. So good. Um, wow. I feel like I feel like that was the fastest outro I've ever done.
Unknown:We I mean, you know, because you're ready to get to the good stuff.
Rachel:Hey, let's get to the good stuff. Bye, everybody.