drama: a murder, a tumbledown mansion, and a mysterious woman squatting, spider-like, at its heart.Set in Essex — Audley Court is supposedly based on Ingatestone Hall — the beautiful new wife of Sir Michael Audley is as young as she is angelic: 'blessed with that magic power of fascination, by which a woman can charm with a word or intoxicate with a smile'. Her husband's nephew, Robert Audley, is nearly as susceptible to Lady Audley's charms as everyone else. When his friend, George Talboys, disappears while on a visit to Audley Court, Robert turns detective to look for him. Young Robert){kind=link}
Before there was Rebecca, there was Lady Audley. Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s Victorian sensation Lady Audley’s Secret has all the delicious elements of gothic (melo)drama: a murder, a tumbledown mansion, and a mysterious woman squatting, spider-like, at its heart.
Set in Essex – Audley Court is supposedly based on Ingatestone Hall – the beautiful new wife of Sir Michael Audley is as young as she is angelic: “blessed with that magic power of fascination, by which a woman can charm with a word or intoxicate with a smile”. Her husband’s nephew, Robert Audley, is nearly as susceptible to Lady Audley’s charms as everyone else. When his friend, George Talboys, disappears while on a visit to Audley Court, Robert turns detective to look for him. Young Robert
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