Araminta

At seventy-three, the formidable lady of Hill Street rules her household with acid wit, ritual precision, and a temper that has only sharpened with age. Loved by almost no one, feared by many, and attended by the impeccable Mr. Marchbanks, the loyal Miss Burden, and the overfed pug Ponto, she moves through London society as a living satire of rank, vanity, and imperious self-command. But one sleepy afternoon, after dozing over a borrowed novel and missing luncheon for the first time in her life, she conceives an "Idea" that will unsettle her carefully ordered world. A chance recollection leads her to Reverend Aloysius Perry, and soon she summons one of his daughters, Araminta, from the country to Hill Street, treating the whole arrangement as an experiment in mischief and social disruption. Around her, other lives tangle in comic and romantic confusion. Jim Lascelles, undone by a rash outburst and obsessed with his unfinished portrait of the mysterious "Goose Girl," pursues her through Hyde Park, where fashion, class, and desire collide. As London manners, family pride, and artistic ambition intersect, the novel delights in sharp social comedy, sly emotional insight, and the unpredictable consequences of a single stubborn woman's whim. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.