The opening scenes of The Easter Party centre around two households in very different economic circumstances. Sackville-West brilliantly provides every domestic detail with a tone that equals one of those black and white Sunday afternoon movies that are perfect on a rainy day. And then the author begins to drop hints....strife in a marriage, a secret, criminality, and an impending tragedy. If you're in the mood for a bit of melodrama with what feels like a late 1940s backdrop you won't be disappointed.
Rose Mortibois invites her sister's family to Anstey, her husband's ancestral home in the English countryside. Sir Walter Mortibois, QC is very successful, dedicating nearly all of his waking hours to his office and the courts. At first glance it would seem that Rose leads the life of a socialite but when Walter leaves for work she wanders the house rearranging objects on the tables. She is bored.
Rose's sister Lucy lives with her husband, an unsuccessful stockbroker, in a modest home, anxiously awaiting their son's return from four years in the Colonial Service. The married couple are the picture of devotion, referring to each other as 'Pudding', although Lucy frets over how to tell Dick it might sound a bit common in the setting of a country house. There are glaring differences in the lives these sisters lead solely down to the earning power of each woman's husband. Sackville-West makes a point of showing the reader that Sir Walter reads The Times while Dick's paper of choice is the Daily Mail.
Another guest invited to Anstey is the effervescent and notorious Lady Juliet Quarles. When Walter finds out about the additional guest he adds, with a rare bit of humour.....
'Oh, I adore her,' he said lightly. 'Is her heart broken at the moment, or is it intact, or has it found a new occupation? If so, will she want to bring the occupation with her? In any case, if Juliet is coming remember to order some more brandy.'
To even out the adult guests for the Bank Holiday weekend, Rose rings her brother-in-law, Gilbert. He's described as a 'brain specialist', but Rose is quick to put her sister at ease by mentioning that he's very easy going. My mind did wander to the notion that in today's world it would be nigh on impossible to find a psychiatrist and a QC with a calendar free of appointments for three days. I digress.
Over the course of the weekend layers are peeled away to reveal the private thoughts, and sometimes anguish, of each guest. One of the saddest situations being that of Rose, who at only forty-five is desperately lonely in her marriage. Walter was upfront when he proposed, telling Rose their marriage would be in name only. As a very young woman wanting more than village life the offer was a way of changing her circumstance, but her life has been devoid of intimacy. Rose realizes that Walter's steely nature is a weakness rather than a strength and admits to Gilbert....'I wish also that he could have suffered.' This becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that will change lives.
I am so glad to have found this book. At times it is over the top but the overall picture of another time balances out the melodrama. The snobby butler, cars on gravel paths, straight razors and shaving soap, and I would love to know if Lady Quarles was drawn from someone in Vita Sackville-West's sphere of acquaintances. She's quite wild! The author's love of dogs is certainly apparent given the important part Svend the Alsatian plays in the story.
The Edwardians has been languishing on my shelves for years but The Easter Party has given me the push to read it sooner rather than later.
Portrait of Mrs Herbert Spencer by Joseph Kleitsch
1920