hd: mother-in-law
Mabel’s mother-in-law was particularly dreadful to visit. Mabel didn’t mind her much when it was just the two of them alone, but Mabel hates how she criticizes John in front of her. The critiques are something a mother would say to her twelve year old boy, not a grown man.
Now that Mabel is a little older, and a lot braver, she tends to talk over her mother-in-law. Ex:
"John, please don’t blush in front of your wife. Women find it to be an emasculating characterist—"
"—Darling, your eyes are so very blue today. It’s like I’m looking at the sky."
There was one evening when Mabel just couldn’t handle any more of it and, calmly but firmly, interjected that John was perfect. She did this because Digory was in the room, and she didn’t want him to think poorly of his father. Father Kirke got upset at John, and told him to control his wife, which then angered John.
The whole thing ended in a dinner cut short, but they didn’t speak of it the next time they saw each other.