Queen LearEight-year-old Nicandra is named after a horse. She lives with her parents. Sir Dermot and Lady Forester, and her aunt Mrs. Fox-Collier (Aunt Tossie) at Deer Forest. An Irish country mansion, and loves to love and be loved. One day as she prattles about the grounds visting Lizzie the housemaid, Twomey the butler, Mrs. Geary the cook and all the underlings, this delightful structure of life is struck as if by lightning: her mother has committed an act too dreadful ever to be spoken of and vanishes forever from Deer Forest. Nicandra grows up cooing with the dogs, sleeping in Belgian lace, teasing the retarded peasant boy, Silly-Willie and yearning to love and to give. Frayed memories of her mother's perfume and a missing stableman vaguely disturb her. When the dandy, Andrew catches her eye, Nicandra, beautiful, rich and badly dressed, marries him. Queen Lear tells the story of this frightful marriage and a world that has passed into oblivion. |
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Andrew asked Aunt Tossie baby bantams bath beautiful bedroom bird blue boots bread-soda breakfast breath caravan chair cold comfort course Dada Dada's dancing dark darling dear Deer Forest Dermot dining room dinner dogs door dress drink eggs empty everything eyes Fagan foie gras Fox-Collier Geary Gentleman's Relish Gigi girl give glass going hand happy heard horses hot-water bottle hunting hurried Kate kedgeree Kileady kind kiss kitchen knew Lalage Lally laughed light looked Madarm Maman Molly Keane morning room mother Nannie Nannie's never Nicandra felt nursery nursery room opened pâté perhaps pleasure quietly Robert round sandwiches scone shut silly Silly-Willie Sir Dermot's sounded spinach stood thing thought tiny tonight took Tossie's tray turned Twomey Twomey's viburnum voice waited warm watched whisky William Willie window wine wonderful