When Lucia's husband inherits a house in London, her personal stocks rise, but can she sustain the heady lifestyle in the bustling metropolis?
Lucia in London (1927) is the third novel in the "Mapp and Lucia" series of novels by E. F. Benson. For the uninitiated, they are classics in the camp canon, featuring two domineering socialites, Elizabeth Mapp of Tilling and Emmeline Lucas (self-styled "Lucia") of Riseholme. Both characters rule their quaint villages with an iron fist, but hidden within a velvet glove. E. F. Benson writes in a becalming lapidary prose, describing with faultless precision the frivolous goings on his vain, silly yet still quite endearing characters.
In Lucia in London, Lucia's husband "Pepino" has inherited a house in London from his recently deceased aunt. As soon as the neighbours find this out, they take out their pencils and paper, trying to calculate the value of the newly inherited assets, including furniture and jewelry. Everyone wonders what the couple will do with the property. Surely they wouldn't betray Riseholme by moving to London? It soon turns out that this is pretty much the case. Lucia and Pepino decide to spend a part of the year in London. For Lucia this means aggressive social climbing. At first her endeavours pay off and her name starts appearing in the society pages, but inevitably there is a ceiling to her ambitions. Good fortune appears in a the guise of misfortune: her Pepino falls ill. This provides perfect cover for an honorable return to Riseholme, advertising her need to nurse her husband back to health in comfortable surrounds.
Another plot involves a ouija board and mysterious ancient called Abfou, who suggests to Lucia's rival, Daisy Quantock, that she should start up a local museum, highlighting Riseholme's most interesting artifacts. In reality, the residents of Riseholme merely fill it with old junk they no longer want in their houses, charging weekend American tourists to see it.
If you love the Lucia novels, this one will not disappoint.
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