Maid in Waiting – John Galsworthy (1931)

Maid in Waiting is the first novel in the third and final volume of the Forsyte Saga Chronicles, the seventh of the nine novels.

Following the quite climatic ending to the previous volume, we put the Forsytes to one side and concentrate instead on the Cherrell family, cousins of the Mont’s; the family Fleur Forsyte married into. Fleur and her husband Michael having now been married for about eight years, remain just peripheral characters in this novel.

Hubert Cherrell, son of Sir Conway Cherrell, on sick leave from the R.A.F, joined an expedition to Bolivia, where he got into a whole heap of trouble involving some Bolivian men who Hubert flogged for animal cruelty – one man was shot – and the expedition failed. Now Hubert has had his name linked to the failure of the expedition in the newspapers, by Hallorsen – the American who led the expedition and has had hard words to say about Hubert since. Soon it appears that Hubert may even have to face extradition to Bolivia to answer for the shooting, which Hubert claims was self-defence. Cue, lots of upper class white men saying rather unpleasant things about the trustworthiness of mere Bolivians – we know what to expect I suppose with things written at this time. There are moments however when this all gets a bit wearisome. I wondered however whether Galsworthy wasn’t deliberately highlighting the typical English, white upper class attitude here – and decided he possibly was – as ever he concerns himself with portraying various sections of society – certainly there is a prevalent arrogant attitude toward the non-English.

Hubert’s sister Dinny – one of the best characters in this novel – shows her unswerving support for her brother while at a country house party hosted by Sir Lawrence Mont and his wife –the glorious Lady Emily. Knowing that Lord Saxenden – with his influence in military matters – and Professor Hallosen are to be present Dinny contrives to join the party and go into bat for her beloved brother. Dinny also does a little match making for her brother – which is astoundingly successful. While in Bolivia, Hubert had kept a diary which Dinny reads in order to fully understand her brother’s experiences.

“And so on through a tale of struggle to the end. Dinny laid down the dim and yellowed record and leaned her elbow on the sill. The silence and the coldness of the light out there had chilled her spirit. She no longer felt in fighting mood. Hubert was right. Why show one’s naked soul, one’s sore finger, to the public? No! Better anything than that. Private strings — yes, they should be pulled; and she would pull them for all she was worth.”

Meanwhile one of Dinny’s uncles the rather lovely Adrian is in love with Diana, a woman whose husband is incarcerated voluntarily in a psychiatric hospital – she has spent four years alone with her children. During this time her friendship with Adrian has been entirely appropriate but it is obvious the two are very fond of each other.

“Of the old school in thought and manner, and trained to a coherent view of human history, Adrian accepted life with half-humorous fatalism. He was not of the reforming type, and the position of his lady love did not inspire him with a desire for the scalp of marriage. He wanted her to be happy, but did not see how in the existing circumstances he could make her so. She had at least peace and the sufficient income of him who had been smitten by Fate.”

One day however, her husband Captain Ferse walks out of the home and turns up at the house he once shared with his wife. The servants immediately put locks on their doors, and all of Diana’s friends are very worried for Diana alone with her husband – who at first at least does appear perfectly fine. Dinny proves herself a great friend to Diana, moving in to the house with Diana as a guest, just as Captain Ferse’s behaviour begins to cause concern again. Dinny is a wonderfully brave, resourceful character, she a very different character to Fleur, possibly not quite as vividly brilliant as Fleur, she is much nicer. Lady Emily, Fleur’s mother-law is a rather lovely character, she’s endearing and seems just a little unconventional – a bit distracted she greets her neice in her drawing room with a parakeet on her shoulder.

“Emily, Lady Mont, was standing in her panelled drawing-room flicking a feather brush over a bit of Famille Verte, with her parakeet perched on her shoulder. She lowered the brush, advanced with a far-away look in her eyes, said “Mind, Polly,” and kissed her niece. The parakeet transferred itself to Dinny’s shoulder and bent its head round enquiringly to look in her face. “He’s such a dear,” said Lady Mont; “you won’t mind if he tweaks your ear? I’m so glad you came, Dinny; I’ve been so thinking of funerals. Do tell me your idea about the hereafter.”
“Is there one, Auntie?”
“Dinny! That’s so depressing.”

Hubert finds himself in court – his possible extradition still to be decided, he is remanded in custody meanwhile much to the disgust of his friends and family.

There is naturally enough a dramatic end to the story of Diana and her husband, with Adrian and his brother Hilary (who we met briefly in Swan song) making a desperate dash in pursuit of the poor man.

John Galsworthy writes such stories brilliantly, troubled romances, court cases and scandals set among the English upper classes are familiar territory. Here is great storytelling, and like the novels which preceded it Maid in Waiting is endlessly readable, I actually really enjoyed getting to know a new set of characters. While this doesn’t have quite the same brilliance of some of the earlier Forsyte novels, it is still very enjoyable, and I am looking forward to the last two books in the series.