Getting The Picture by Sarah; Salway

Florence Oliver how to shut doors more quietly. It is not that she exactly slams the door, but if she were to learn to use the handle and pull the door closed with that, then we could all enjoy a more tranquil ambience. Consideration of others is a common courtesy.
    I have tried to talk to her myself but to no avail.
    Yours sincerely,
    George Griffiths
    38. letter from florence oliver to lizzie corn
    Dearest Lizzie,
    You and I are friends again!
    I read your card with such joy, Lizzie. The moment I saw the picture of those two poor little Royal boys, I knew it was from you and that you had forgiven me. And yes, if you’re sure that’s what you want, I’ll carry on telling you everything that’s happening here. I shall smile to think of our letters in a box marked Incontinence Pads. You are right to think Troy won’t venture in there. Trouble is I hardly know where to begin. Oh, I know we’ve both had our moments over the years but it feels good to be alive. Do you remember that tattoo artist at Southend who tried to persuade you to have a rose on your thigh? I don’t mind telling you I was jealous of that but, with the greatest respect, in terms of wickedness, he has nothing on Martin.
    So let me tell you about the plan.
    I am going to seduce George Griffiths!
    What do you think of that?
    Of course, I’m not going to seduce him properly. I’m not that daft. Just become close to him. Martin thought of the idea. It’s so we can get evidence on him and then we are going to make a complaint. We’re going to give him a taste of his own medicine. It’s just a bit of fun so don’t you go getting all sour-lemony on me and taking the wind out of my sails. No one who doesn’t deserve it will get hurt. George makes everyone’s life a misery so this is going to be our revenge. Martin’s and mine. Besides, it’s not as if there’s anything else for us to do in here. We had to sit through a talk yesterday afternoon from a woman who makes bread. She told us how therapeutic it can be to pound and beat the dough. She’d brought some with her already prepared that she kept throwing up and catching until Annabel Armstrong got too excited and the new help, Steve, had to take her out. But I had to leave the room too. I kept thinking about Graham and how red his face used to get when he was angry. He always had to be right. I suppose it was his army training. As I went, I could see Martin giving me a smile. I don’t think he’d hurt a fly. It’s unusual for a man to be gentle like that.
    Mind you, he hasn’t mentioned the photographs recently. You’ll probably be relieved to hear that, but you were wrong about my reasons for having them done. Graham used to get those magazines, you know. I found them once under the mattress when he was away training, but I never told him I knew because I liked looking at them. Was that wrong of me? It wasn’t that they gave me a thrill, or not for the reasons you might be thinking. I just liked to think about those women and how different their lives were from mine. I imagined what it must have been like to get dressed up like that and for no one to laugh at you. The opposite really. Sometimes I’d even do it, when I knew Graham was away and no one would catch me. I’d pose half dressed in front of the mirror. I never blamed Graham for preferring those women to me. Not then.
    But suddenly I feel I need to have a quiet lie-down.
    Yours aye,
    Flo
    39. letter from martin morris to mo griffiths
    Dear Mo,
    I imagined him different. That’s the truth. But when I’m with him now, do you know what the worst bit is? I think of you. Because I can’t forget, Mo, and I don’t believe you could either. So when I’m in the same room as him, I think of what it must have been like for you. I wonder whether maybe you sat with him like I did last night and if you couldn’t bear to look at him either.