Lord Lister No. 0039: De krankzinnige van Hanwell

On Goldhawke Road, a modest cottage nestled in a lush garden stands out among the grand villas of west London. Its owner, the Dutch merchant Van Brixen, has summoned an eager crowd to celebrate the engagement of his daughter Antje to the French expatriate José Fournier. The house glitters with light, promising a night of music, laughter, and the display of newly‑earned wealth.

Fournier, keen to turn his new aristocratic connection into advantage, spots the Marquis d’Armand in a bustling café and engineers a chance introduction. The accidental exchange of a fur coat leads to a lively conversation that leaves the Frenchman eager to invite the Marquis to Van Brixen’s upcoming fête. As he plots to secure the noble’s attendance, the stakes of the celebration—and his own ambitions—begin to simmer.