
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Serena Page’s country residence gleams with the effortless elegance of a well‑run hotel, yet beneath the polished surfaces runs a current of restless energy. Each morning she rises at half past eight, determined to embark on a strict diet and regimented routine that everyone doubts she can keep. The house awakens around her—sprinklers casting rainbows, curtains fluttering, a Japanese butler delivering a modest breakfast—while Serena, in a sheer black negligee, watches the world stir.
Enter Geraldine Moriarty, hired as a companion after a desperate plea from a friend who learned of the girl’s recent hardships. Educated, sharp‑tongued, and seemingly immune to the allure of Serena’s lavish lifestyle, Geraldine becomes the only presence that truly tests the hostess’s patience. Their interactions crackle with a mix of reluctant charity and thinly veiled contempt, hinting at deeper undercurrents in the household.
Around them, a rotating staff and a circle of affluent acquaintances keep the social clock ticking, but the fragile balance between generosity and resentment begins to shift. As Serena’s new regimen takes hold, the tension between the self‑possessed hostess and the steadfast companion promises to reshape the dynamics of this glittering, yet fragile, domestic world.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (61K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: The Frank A. Munsey Company, 1926.
Credits
Roger Frank and Sue Clark. This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive.
Release date
2022-02-11
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1889–1955
Best known for bringing a sharp psychological edge to mystery fiction, this American novelist moved from writing popular romantic novels in the 1920s to suspense and crime stories after the 1929 market crash. Her work is often remembered for ordinary people under pressure and for a cool, observant style that helped shape domestic suspense.
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