EBOOK
About
Parents, siblings, offspring, friends, acquaintances, retired governesses, visitors, living at or near Marling Hall, the seat of the Marling family, interact in a multitude of domestic tableaux. Twentysomethings flirt or fall celibately in love. Romantic musical chairs is played, sugar and butter are rationed. Mrs. Smith, recently widowed, is the novel's only engaging character as she rents out her fully furnished Edwardian McMansion to a brother and sister, and then obnoxiously lets herself in with her keys and absconds with side tables, fireplace tongs, chickens and eggs, and brings back her sticky unwashed juice bottles so the tenants can reuse them.