The pelicans

Set in a valley along the River Wye, the story opens with the sudden loss of a young widow, leaving two daughters orphaned and a massive grand piano stuck in the front door of her modest home. The local gentry, led by the sharp‑tongued Lady Argent and her son Ludovic, debate the children's fate and the unwieldy instrument, exposing the mix of charity, propriety, and idle gossip that governs their world. Their conversation hints at a network of acquaintances eager to intervene, each motivated by a blend of genuine concern and self‑interest.

Enter Bertie Tregaskis, a resourceful woman known for good works in Cornwall, who volunteers to take the girls under her wing despite her modest means. Through witty dialogue and keen observation, Delafield paints a community where social obligations clash with personal ambition, and even moving a piano becomes a stage for humor and insight. As the characters navigate duty, compassion, and the lingering shadows of the past, listeners are drawn into a richly textured portrait of early‑twentieth‑century English life.