Theirs Was The Kingdom (109 page)

She managed, in her way, to have a private word with most of them concerning Adam’s latest obsession of converting Tryst into a beleaguered fortress. Their responses were interesting. Alex replied gravely that he supposed Father knew what he was about; he usually did, and invariably came up with a profit. George’s response was more predictable. He said, lightly, “It’ll keep the Gov’nor out of mischief,” and she knew very well that this was precisely how he thought of it. He was the very last man in the network to want Adam turning up at the yard proffering unwanted advice.

Giles, the only one among them who shared Adam’s interest in pictures, porcelain, and what Henrietta thought of as “secondhand furniture,” was enthusiastic, saying that none of them would know the place when it was tidied up and all the workmen had left. And here, to Henrietta’s surprise, he was enthusiastically supported by Romayne, who said that Adam Swann was a very remarkable man in his way. She knew that, of course, and did not have to be reminded of it by a flighty daughter-in-law, but what surprised her much more was her daughter Stella’s espousal of the changes. She remembered then that Stella had taken a lively interest in the landscaping during the summer and autumn, and had popped over to watch progress whenever Dewponds could spare her. Perhaps it wasn’t all that surprising. Stella had once helped to rebuild a burned-out farm with her own hands, thus emerging from her long trance after that frightful experience in Sussex. Maybe building something was a kind of medicine and Adam was now dosing himself, to ease the heartache caused by the surrender of his network.

She had a pleasant, gossipy session with the girls late on Christmas night, when the men were still at their port, the first time she could remember enjoying the segregation of the sexes the moment dinner was over, a custom she had always thought excessively dull and stupid.

She had a chance then to note that hardening of alliances between them, of a kind that had existed within the family before they began to scatter. Joanna seemed to confide in Romayne, and this was something else that made sense for they had, Henrietta thought, a good deal in common. One had been silly enough to get herself pregnant before she was safely married. The other had succumbed to panic and run off somewhere (Giles had never disclosed why, exactly) when her wedding day was a few weeks off. Stella and Gisela had formed a firm friendship a long time ago. Each approved the other’s practical approach to men and marriage, although Gisela was never likely to influence George to the extent that Stella had moulded Denzil. Lydia, to a lesser degree, inclined towards this faction, whereas Margaret, her youngest daughter, who walked alone for the most part, had always looked upon Deborah as a special kind of person. More and more Henrietta began to see her youngest child as a female equivalent of the gentle old Colonel.

It was thinking of him that sent her out into the hall on the excuse of getting a breath of air. It was a very mild night for December, so she took a shawl and opened the front door, slipping out on to the forecourt and looking up at the stars. A merciful darkness shrouded the ugly diggings, contrasting with the blaze of lights that lit up the front of the house.

Standing here she could catch the sound of male laughter from the dining room, and supplementary giggles from the eastern end of the house. She had, at that moment, an awareness of intense personal achievement, telling herself that she was the source of all that health and vitality in there. Not for the first time she acknowledged it as a very remarkable accomplishment on her part, and one that, in the real sense, had been achieved single-handed. For what had Adam brought to it, apart from a few moments of zest and affection? He had kept them housed and fed and clothed, certainly, but all the really important decisions had been hers. It was she who had been the first to judge the effect Lydia would be likely to have upon Alex’s character and his chances of promotion; she who had resurrected Stella and promoted the match with Denzil; and she who had intrigued to keep George inside the family circle. It was she who had extricated Joanna from her awful dilemma and she who had nursed the entire brood through all their turbulent patches. Now, she supposed, her influence would lessen year by year, but this was not a prospect that dismayed her. She would be fifty-one next birthday, and it was time to look about for a bit of peace, and perhaps some cautious foreign travel if she could talk Adam into breaking his resolve never to quit Britain again.

She felt extraordinarily happy and hopeful standing here inhaling the night air—almost as young and romantic as the girl who had waited outside that shepherd’s hut on Seddon Moor for her White Knight to ride over the skyline and hoist her on to the rump of his mare at the very beginning of the adventure. Remembering this, she felt a familiar surge of gratitude for the tall, dark-browed sixty-two-year-old, currently swapping coarse jokes, no doubt, with his buccaneering sons and sons-in-law. Acknowledgement of her affection for him was so definite that she looked forward to bedtime, when they would withdraw from all the chatter and badinage and put their arms about one another in that great Conyer bed they had shared since they settled here and their partnership had properly begun.

She took another look at the stars, sniffed the dampish air, drew her shawl about her, and marched back into the house, closing the door gently so that no one would scold her for exposing herself to the risk of catching cold. She rarely did catch cold. Apart from lying-in periods, she could not recall ever having spent a day abed and she still had—what?—twenty to thirty years ahead of her.

The drawing-room door opened while she was replacing her shawl in the cupboard and the men trooped out, a little the worse for wear some of them, but not Adam, who came last, his left hand flexing the muscles of his truncated leg, something he could always be seen to do when he had been seated for any length of time. The boys made for the sewing room in a body, and from the uproar that greeted them she concluded there would be any amount of private junketing when they finally separated and went to their beds, for all the girls save Margaret had had their share of hock and Burgundy at dinner.

But Adam hung back seeing her standing there, and seemed to be reading her thoughts, for he winked and then stumped across the flagstones and took her hand. He said, conspiratorially, “We’ll leave ’em to it in half-an-hour or so, shall we?” and she nodded, so eagerly that he chuckled, drawing her forward into the storm centre of conviviality across the hall.

1. In the prologue, after admiring a family photo, Adam Swann reflects on the unique characteristics of his four eldest children, while at the same time admitting to himself that he really does not know much about the people they are or will become. In what ways do Adam’s early descriptions of Stella, Alexander, George, and Giles hold true throughout the story? In what ways do the children grow up different from the ways their father has described them?

2. Throughout the story, Adam makes several references to his family as a business, or part-time hobby. At one point, Adam even refers to tactical tools he can use to get his family to show him a profit. How does Adam Swann’s business-like approach to parenting affect his children, both negatively and positively? How successful is this approach? Do you agree with the capacity in which Adam chooses to be a father to his children?

3. Henrietta Swann is an ever-present and faithful wife and mother. She runs Tryst with commanding strength and confidence. A clear matriarch, in what ways does Henrietta also serve as a father figure for her children? Do you admire to her ability to step in and solve a crisis when Adam is away, or do you think she sometimes acts too hastily?

4. When describing his willingness to hire men off the streets and give them fair wages, Adam says, “That’s my notion of clarity. Give a man a push and let him forge ahead or run clean out of steam, whichever he chooses.” In many ways, Adam successfully applied this bootstraps philosophy to his own life, starting Swann-on-Wheels with nothing but a small savings and a love and knowledge of horses. Is the success of his company solely a product of Adam’s ability to forge ahead, or did other factors contribute as well? Can determination really overcome anything? Do you think this philosophy still holds true today?

5. Adam and Henrietta offer their adult children a wide amount of freedom and independence, serving almost as advisors rather than figures of authority. How does each child react to this freedom? Do they all flourish with independence? If they set out on the wrong path, are they able to correct themselves before it’s too late?

6. In part one, during a conversation with Giles, Adam describes a doctrine called “the inevitability of gradualness” in which, as a country prospers, the people slowly profit as well. From what you’ve read in
Theirs Was the Kingdom
and what you’ve seen in your own life, does this doctrine hold true? As a country prospers, do all of its citizens have an equal chance to prosper as well? Do you think those at the top are willing to make room for others to join them as Adam describes?

7. Stella and Giles seem to share a special bond. He is the only one she confides in during the depression she enters after the demise of her first marriage. Who of the other Swann children share a special relationship? Are any of the children more distant from the group? Do any of these relationships change as spouses are introduced to the mix?

8. During their proposal, Stella tells Denzil Fawcett, “I’ll make you a good wife… A far better one than I would have made you before.” What does Stella mean by this? In what ways does Stella change during the time she spends rebuilding Dewponds with Denzil?

9. In part two, Giles easily identifies the life purposes of his parents and older siblings. His father has the business, his mother the family, Stella has her husband and child, and Alex has glory. Yet Giles struggles in determining his own life’s purpose, admitting that he has so far only been able to gather clues. What clues do you see in the text hinting to Giles’s life purpose? By the end of the book, has Giles defined the meaning of his life yet, or do you think he is still searching?

10. In order to keep George on as his apprentice, Maximilien Korner is willing to sacrifice the virtue of his granddaughters in order to satisfy George. How did you react to this? Were you offended that Maximilien had no concern for the future of his granddaughters or their widowed mother? What does it say about George that he ultimately did not take Max up on this offer?

11. Although Giles has always been fond of education, he chooses to forgo a scholarship to Oxford in order to travel through England on foot and eventually work for his father. Why do you think Giles chose to explore the English countryside on foot rather than by train or travelling through Europe? What do you think he hoped to gain from his trip?

12. Alex’s fiancé, Lydia Corcoran, baffles Adam, who cannot see the appeal in a woman who has a flat chest and boyish appearance. What does Alex see in Lydia that makes him fall in love with her? How important is it to you to have a partner who is physically attractive? Do you think outer beauty is valued more by society than inner beauty and personality?

13. When Giles breaks off his engagement to Romayne, she begs him to reconsider claiming that she will become a different, less-spoiled person as soon as they are married. Do you believe her when she says this? Do you think it’s possible for someone to change who they are just by entering into marriage? Would Giles and Romayne’s relationship have been different if they had gotten married earlier?

14. When Stead publishes his article on child prostitution in the
Pall Mall Gazette
his newspaper and his reputation are viciously attacked. Adam is outraged at the hypocrisy of the British people— that they can claim to live to a high moral code and at the same time, be blind to the social responsibilities that lay before them. What do you think contributed to this moral hypocrisy of nineteenth-century England? Do you think a similar hypocrisy still exists today?

15. After Romayne runs away, Giles asks her father if he feels responsible for her behavior. He says no, telling Giles that people are who they are and remain that way. Do you think this is true, or do people change who they are based on personal situations and things like career choices and marriages? Which of the characters in this story change, and which remain the same?

16. By the end of the story, the eldest six Swann children are all in happy, loving marriages. Which couples seem best suited for each other? Which siblings seem to have learned the most from their spouse and their relationship? Do you think all six marriages are destined for a lifetime of happiness?

17. As her children grow, Henrietta frequently ponders the ways in which they take after their parents and grandparents. Which of the Swann children share characteristics with Henrietta and which take more after Adam? Do any of the Swann children seem to have an equal mix of both parents’ personalities?

18. How have the Swann children influenced Adam and Henrietta? What, if anything, has each parent learned from serving as counsel and friend to their adult children?

19. Adam considers Deborah Avery a “feminist of deepest conviction” even though he sees little about her that is similar to the feminists whom he knows to be loud and aggressive. What is your definition of a feminist? Which characters would you consider feminists? Do they each act as feminists in their own regard?

20. After secretly witnessing George’s successful test drive of Maximus, Adam hurries out to congratulate his son, quickly swallowing his pride and admitting that he was in the wrong for doubting the importance of a motorized vehicle. Is there a time in your life when you had to admit that you were wrong about something? If so, were you able to do it as easily as Adam was? Do you think it is harder to admit being wrong about something to your children than to a friend or colleague?

21. After thirty years and nine children, Henrietta and Adam are as happy in their marriage as ever. They share a mutual respect for each other as well as a loving and physical relationship. What have been the keys to their success as husband and wife? What do you think are the most important aspects of a happy and healthy marriage?

22.
Theirs Was the Kingdom
both begins and ends with Adam Swann in a moment of self-reflection, overlooking the Thames in his office. What does this important river, situated near both the political and economical center of London, symbolize to Adam? How have the politics and economics of nineteenth-century England impacted his personal and professional life?