The Mistress of Shenstone

Set against the bleak November sky of Shenstone, the story opens on a solitary terrace where Lady Ingleby drifts between the dying garden and the cold lake, her thoughts as restless as the wind that rattles the bare trees. Wrapped in a long cloak and accompanied by her jittery white poodle, Peter, she grapples with the ache of waiting for her husband Michael’s return from war, filling the empty rooms of the manor with quiet longing and the promise of spring.

A terse telegram arrives, delivering news that will stir the household and hint at hidden concerns beyond the manor’s walls. As the mistress tends to the fading landscape and the uneasy pet, the atmosphere tightens, suggesting that loyalty, love, and the weight of expectation will soon intertwine with secrets waiting to surface. Listeners will find a richly drawn portrait of Edwardian life, where the tender domestic moments are shadowed by the looming uncertainties of a world in transition.