Habits of the House (37 page)

‘Minnie and I will be processing behind the Queen and Arthur and you behind the King,’ she said, ‘which uses up our four allocated seats, so we have three over. It would be natural to ask our daughter Rosina, but she will wear strange clothes and like as not alarm other guests by haranguing them about the iniquities of royal ritual in the modern age.’

‘But she will be hurt and offended if she knows there is a spare ticket and she is not asked; she is quite capable of behaving if she wishes.’

‘But she may very well not wish,’ said Isobel, ‘and she is quite happy to be hurt and offended. Let it occupy her all next year. Better a real grudge than an invented one. She is quite likely to take her parrot with her to glorify some avian deity, or go without a hat, or let off fireworks. I most strenuously advise against one.’

‘I will abide by your judgement, my dear,’ said her husband, pacifically. ‘But do remember she is your daughter too. I see your father Silas in her. He did what he wanted, said what he wanted, and took no notice of what people thought of him. They are traits better suited to a man than a woman, it is true, but at least she is not dull.’

Isobel kept her composure and said that if dullness was a qualification for attendance it might be seemly to invite his brother Edwin and his wife and daughter. Edwin was a Dilberne, and, heaven forbid, in the line of succession to the earldom. She should not have said it, but did so to annoy, and as soon as she had, regretted it.

Robert said, over his dead body, that his brother was a scurrilous rat. And his sister-in-law a pious vengeful little thing, not only dull but plain, and the jubilant crowds who gathered in such number to enjoy the pageantry and fine dresses of the notables who descended from their coaches at the Abbey gates expected to see tall beautiful people not hunchbacks. They would disappoint by coming by hansom cab or even by District line with its fetid smells and grimy walls.

‘Then whom shall we ask?’ asked Isobel. Better that Robert had disdained Consuelo’s offer, but what man would refuse so generous a gift from someone so charming, pretty and young? And why had Consuelo chosen Robert for her favours? He was twice the girl’s age, surely, possessed a tenth of her wealth, and held a title a good notch or so below her own. On the other hand Robert was good-looking, sociable and probably, most importantly in the Duchess’s eyes, as cheerful as Sunny was not. If she wanted to curry favour with anyone, why did she not set her sights on Arthur Balfour, who was so absurdly clever, kind, unmarried and available? But there were some young wives, the kind really close to their fathers while disliking their mothers, who enjoyed nothing better than to steal other women’s husbands, simply because that was what they were. Perhaps Consuleo was such a one? No, Isobel did not like it one bit.

‘We could ask the d’Astis,’ said Isobel. ‘She would give her eye teeth for such an invitation.’

‘Too vulgar,’ said Robert. ‘Too foreign. Lion hunters. All those greenery-yallery people. But we could invite the Baums.’ Eric Baum was Robert’s financial adviser, thanks to whose backing of Robert’s gold and mineral mines Robert was quickly becoming very rich indeed. ‘That would at least be useful.’

‘So others might observe,’ said Isobel. ‘Such an odious little man. And what a little social climber she is.’

At which Robert rose to his feet, and said she must do as she thought fit, these were domestic matters, he must be getting back to the House, old Salisbury was dragging himself to his feet to speak on land reform though heaven knew that after his wife’s death the poor old man, once such a fighter, could scarcely speak sense any more. The sooner Arthur Balfour was in place the better.

‘Of course,’ said Isobel sweetly, ‘I shall see to it,’ but one way and another she was furious; and once Robert had left the house, she took the three invitations and posted them off along with the Christmas gift to Adela, to the Honourable Reverend Edwin Hedleigh at the Rectory at Yatbury – such a dreary little coal town by all acounts, grown too quickly from its ancient heart, its one claim to fame the mediaeval panel in the musicians’ gallery of St Aidan’s, the twelfth-century church, showing a playful St Cecilia kicking up her skirts and dancing with her musicians.

Available now

About this Book

Set during a single year in the dying days of Victoria’s reign,
Habits of the House
tells the story of the Dilberne family and their staff. All have secrets, but for the most part life runs smoothly, with very little intrusion from the world outside.

So when the events of a single turbulent morning herald bankruptcy and ruin for the Earl of Dilberne, the solution is to marry off his only son, Arthur. But as life above and below stairs shows the strain of impending disaster, the secrets of the household may prove fatal to the Earl’s plans.

Reviews

“Weldon at her most spellbinding” —
Spectator

“A splendidly fun romp” —
The Times

“Hugely enjoyable” —
Tatler

“Julian Fellowes must look to his laurels, and Downton Abbey may find itself running a second to 17 Belgrave Square.” —
Scotsman

About this Trilogy

THE LOVE AND INHERITANCE TRILOGY

The
Love and Inheritance
trilogy is a family saga set between 1899 and 1906. The aristocratic Dilberne family lurch from wild wealth, to bankruptcy, and back again, their fortunes dependent on the new steam-powered automobiles, Spiritualist gatherings and Christmases at Sandringham. But as the century turns, the rigid rules of society begin to soften…

Following lives and loves upstairs and downstairs, and brimming with Fay Weldon’s trademark wit, wisdom and warmth, this is a trilogy to treasure.

I.
Habits of the House
In the dying days of Victoria’s reign, the events of a single turbulent morning herald bankruptcy and ruin for the Earl of Dilberne. His wife, the Countess Isobel, believes the solution is to marry off their handsome, wilful son to a rich and pretty heiress from the Chicago stockyards. It’s a clash of cultures and principles that rocks the household from parlour to pantry.

Gold mines fail, bankers plot, bad girls flourish, the London fog descends, Royalty intervenes and unlikely lovers triumph.
Habits of the House
, the first book in the Love & Inheritance trilogy, is a ravishing portrait of the
fin de siècle
from one of our best-loved British authors.

Habits of the House
is available
here
.

II.
Long Live the King
With London Society in a frenzy of anticipation for the coronation of King Edward VII, the Earl and Countess of Dilberne are caught up in lavish preparations. Yet Lady Isobel still has ample time to fret, and no wonder with a much longed-for heir on the way, an elopement, family tragedy, a runaway niece and a gaggle of fraudulent spiritualists to contend with…

Fay Weldon once again draws her readers into the lives and loves of the aristocratic Dilberne family, as they embrace not only a new century, but a new generation – a generation with somewhat radical views…

Long Live the King
is available
here
.

III.
The New Countess
The King had foreign tastes; a French chef would have to be brought in and where could one find such a one at short notice? Existing staff would have to move up and share beds, which always made them sulky and resentful just when they should not be. Pathways must be constructed so the ladies would not get their feet muddy as they joined the men, and field kitchens erected so that dishes could be served hot and claret warmed. At least the King’s champagne – he had to have champagne when shooting, though frugal enough with alcohol otherwise – would be cold enough. Isobel found her heart beating hard and her breath coming short. Five months to prepare for one weekend – it was a monstrous task.

The New Countess
is available
here
.

About the Author