‘It was raining hard again, and great bruise-coloured clouds hung low over the copse.’
[Before the Kingshaws arrived]
‘It had stopped raining. The sky was the colour of dirty sixpences.’
[In Kingshaw’s room before the fight.]
‘It was very hot….The cornfield was high up. He stood in the very middle of it, now, and the sun came glaring down…The fields around him were absolutely still.’
[When K goes out for a walk and before being attacked by the crow.]
‘…Hooper had locked him in (the Red Room) and the rain had beaten against the window.’
‘It was much colder than he had expected… There was a thin grey mist everywhere…He had never experienced such silence…Everything ahead of him was shrouded in mist…He felt absolutely alone…But he was no longer afraid …(Later) the sun had risen …it was still very cold…The sky was a very pale, pearly grey…But the sun was very bright…(as he prepares to enter the wood) the sun had come right out, the sky was clear. The sun was shining directly into (the wood). It looked alright…Safe.’
[In Hang Wood]
‘It was darker here…the leaves locked together more tightly overhead, and the sun could not get through…Then he heard the sound.’
‘From somewhere, far away, came the first rumble of thunder.’
[Before Hooper loses it and is sick]
‘Then the sun came out, and the clearing was full of pale, yellow-green light’
[Upon discovery of the pool in the wood]
‘Now everything was revealed by the sun…Kingshaw breathed easily, full of relief.’
[Just before Kingshaw goes for a last swim and they are found.]
‘Outside great flat spots of rain began to fall heavily, one by one, like sweat from the sky…’
[As Kingshaw goes back to the house after being locked in the shed.]
‘The clouds were still low and misty, pressing in upon them.’
[Arrival at the castle]
‘But even up here it was warm and airless.’
[From high up on Leydell Castle.]
‘From behind the hills, through the low grey cloud, a rumble of thunder.’
[As Kingshaw stands on the walls watching the scene below him.]
The whole of the time with Fielding the weather isn’t even mentioned. We get the impression it is fine dry and sunny but it doesn’t play a significant part.
‘And it doesn’t matter what the weather does to us.’
[ Mrs K when they arrive at the circus.]
‘Outside in the cold rain, he thought Oh God, it’s all right, it’s gone, it’s finished…’
[After he’s sick]
‘He stood for a moment in the clearing, listening to the water dripping down off the beech leaves, and then he realised what he had done… He had thought he couldn’t be afraid of anything again, but now he was afraid…. It began to rain again.’
[After K burns Hooper’s battle plans.]
‘Outside, rain and a high wind…’
[The day before the wedding]
‘It was because the morning reminded him of the time before…Outside it was cool and the air felt moist, though it had stopped raining…The only difference today was that there was no mist…the sky was smooth and pale…’
[As K heads back to the wood.]
‘The rain had begun again…’
[As the rescue party finds Kingshaw body.]