It's hinted that the two may be gay, in which case it would not be platonic after all. Lord North strongly dislikes the friendship between his son Craigmore and Daniel.

Dating What Daddy Hates: A platonic version.

Court-martialed: Snout is court-martialed for punching Daniel while defending his dog.

Beatrice immediately calls her out by asking about the gun she was holding.

Blatant Lies: After Beatrice and Hugh save Celeste from killing herself, she says she just wanted to dispose of her dirty linens in the river.

And when Snout lashes out and punches Daniel, North orders him to be court-martialed and face possible execution.

When Craigmore is killed in a plane crash, Lord North lays the blame on Daniel and does everything possible to get him discharged. Aristocrats Are Evil: Lord North really dislikes Daniel and makes Craigmore join the Royal Flying Corps.Anyone Can Die: Several notable characters die, which isn't surprising during wartime.Ambiguously Gay: It's implied that Daniel and Craigmore are more than just close friends.He is not pleased when he later realizes what they did. After learning that Mr Poot may replace Beatrice as the Latin teacher, Hugh and Daniel invite him to get drunk so that he'll do poorly at the interview. Alcohol-Induced Idiocy: Invoked Trope.The Summer Before the War provides examples of: However, matters become complicated as World War I draws near. It focuses on the life of a highly respected young woman, Beatrice Nash, who earns a living by tutoring unruly boys and later teaching at a school, with support from Agatha and her nephews Hugh Grange and Daniel Bookman. The Summer Before the War is a 2016 novel by Helen Simonson.

The last summer before the war