Under False Pretences: A Novel

Set against the sun‑kissed slopes of the western Apennines in 1854, an English gentleman and his small family seek refuge in a white‑walled villa with green shutters. Edward Luttrell, genial and generous, arrives with his temper‑prone Scottish wife, their five‑year‑old son, and a retinue of servants, hoping the gentle Italian air will ease her declining health. The landscape, the nearby village of San Stefano, and the distant Benedictine monastery create a vivid backdrop for a household adjusting to a new rhythm of life.

Soon after, the birth of a second child, Brian, injects fresh joy and uncertainty into the Luttrell home. While Edward revels in fatherly play and casual conversation with locals, Mrs. Luttrell’s sharp temper and fierce independence stir undercurrents of tension. As the family settles into their tranquil retreat, small disagreements and whispered doubts begin to surface, promising a delicate balance between affection, authority, and the hidden strains of their arranged existence.