Long Live the King

Finally!  Long Live the King (#316), the second book of Fay Weldon's trilogy about the turn-of-the century Earl of Dilberne and his household has arrived.  Be warned, though; you really need to have read the first installment Habits of the House (See my post of 3/4/13) to squeeze every last little bit of pleasure from this book.

The Earl of Dilberne's political star is rising, thanks to some shrewd financial tips from his man of business, Eric Baum.  His son and heir, Arthur, is safely married to an American heiress, Minnie, and prospects are good for the imminent arrival of a grandchild.  The family has given up on daughter Rosina ever landing a suitable husband, so Lady Isobel is free to concentrate on their roles in the upcoming Coronation of Bertie, the Prince of Wales.  Who knew that three extra tickets to the Coronation could be wielded as a weapon?  And how can Lady Isobel approach Consuelo Vanderbilt, whom she suspects of having designs on husband Robert for replacements when those engraved invitations go "missing"?

In the meantime, Robert's estranged brother and his wife die in a tragic accident just before Christmas, leaving behind sixteen year old Adela.  The Bishop of Bath and Wells' wife happened to be passing by and rescued Adela, but with the holiday, no one has any time for her, or interest in claiming her since she's due to enter the convent on her next birthday.  That is, until the day she's abducted, except no one really notices...

What fun!  Too bad it's going to be another long wait until The New Countess finally appears on the scene.  If you haven't read these already, you might want to consider hoarding the first two books in this series until the third installment comes out, so you can read them back-to-back.

Just a note about the cover art for this series.  It's really cleverly done, with each front cover forming a panel of a triptych showing an "upstairs" party, while the back covers depict three sections of the downstairs kitchen with the household staff.  The publisher is kind enough to show each series together on the back end flap of the book.  They certainly add to the overall enjoyment of the series!