The House at Riverton

Grace’s daughter, Ruth, drives her to Shepperton Studios to meet Ursula. Ursula, who has a family connection to the Riverton story, leads Grace onto a meticulously recreated set of the manor’s drawing room.

The set unsettles Grace and pulls her back into the past. It triggers a memory of her leaving her job at Riverton and a lecture from the butler, Mr. Hamilton, about loyalty. Ursula outlines her research on the poet, Robbie Hunter, who killed himself at the manor, witnessed by the two Hartford sisters. She knows that Emmeline was his fiancée, while Hannah was rumored to be his lover, but Grace is reassured that Ursula hasn’t uncovered “the truth.” Nostalgia for Riverton overwhelms Grace and she begins to cry. Alarmed, Ruth ends the meeting and insists they leave, telling her mother she doesn’t “have to go back again” (15).

In 1999, Grace sits in the care home garden, unsettled by the studio visit. Her mind turns back to her past at Riverton.

In 1914, Grace arrives at Riverton for her first day of service, aged 14. A senior maid, Nancy, shows her the small attic room they will share and the servants’ hall, where Mr. Hamilton enforces a strict hierarchy. Grace thinks about how her mother insisted on her taking work as a maid, warning her not to “go forgetting her place” (20). Grace remembers the household at Riverton, the home of Lord Ashbury and Lady Violet. She recalls her nerve-wracking job interview with Lady Violet. Getting dressed into her new uniform, she hides her Sherlock Holmes books under her attic bed, as she knows that Mr. Hamilton disapproves of the staff reading.

In 1999, Sylvia sits with Grace and they have a conversation about Sylvia’s new boyfriend, a schoolteacher with an interest in the history of Riverton. Grace thinks of the interest people have in that time and how she has kept the truth hidden, fearing it would be misunderstood.

Grace remembers the house as it was when she arrived, on the cusp of World War I, and the traditional attitudes of the senior house servants. She considers how different things are in 1999. 

Her mind drifts back to the day she met the Hartford children on their annual summer visit to Riverton. Part of Grace’s duties are to clean the quiet, old nursery, which the children have mostly grown out of. One day, she is working there when she starts to read a book from the shelves. She hears the Hartford children coming into the room and, in a moment of panic, hides. The children, David (16), Hannah (14), and Emmeline (10)— start rehearsing a play there. She listens to their conversation, which she finds sophisticated, and learns about their lives and characters. After a while, they discover Grace hiding and, to her surprise, they laugh and joke with her. When their governess approaches, the children hide, and Grace lies to protect them. Hannah smiles at Grace and she feels a connection to them and their secret world, which they call The Game.

The young Grace settles into life at Riverton. In the summer of 1914, Nancy tells Grace about Lord Ashbury’s younger son, Frederick Hartford, the children’s father. She hints at his restless character and numerous failed business ventures, in contrast to his older broth Major Jonathan, a military hero. Grace observes the three Hartford children and learns the rules of The Game; they keep their writings in a black lacquered box and insist on only three players.

Guests arrive for the midsummer holiday, including Frederick, Major Jonathan and his wife, Jemima. Other guests are Lady Clementine de Welton, a friend of Lady Violet, and her young ward, Fanny. Both Lady Clementine and Fanny hope that Fanny will marry Frederick, despite his lack of interest. The cook, Mrs. Townsend, runs a busy kitchen as the house prepares for the annual midsummer dinner and the children’s recital. Grace takes her afternoon off to visit her mother in the village, bringing cake from Mrs. Townsend. She considers the contrast between her mother’s modest home and the manor. She returns as the family gathers for the evening’s performance, which the servants are also allowed to watch.

On August 2, 1914, Grace watches the children’s recital. Hannah performs a parody of her father that, while amusing to him, reveals the tension between them. The rest of the family evidently disapprove. Afterward, the adults discuss the growing threat of war. David declares he will enlist, and his father remarks that he has not yet finished school.

The servants are kept very busy as the family and guests sit down to a grand dinner. Katie, the kitchen maid, had to do the hardest work. The dinner is declared a great success and the servants celebrate downstairs. The telephone rings and Mr. Hamilton answers. He returns to announce that Great Britain has declared war on Germany. In the present, Grace recalls the moment and cries, recognizing it as the end of a carefree era at Riverton.

In 1999, Grace prepares for church with Ruth. They visit a café afterward and, left alone for a while, Grace remembers an incident when she was a young child. She had lost her mother and her coat button had been tangled in the shopping bag of a well-dressed lady, dragging her along. Instead of helping, the lady had accused Grace of attempting to steal from her until the incident was explained. Afterward, Grace’s mother had been angry with Grace, saying that she should have left her at the Foundling Hospital. This was a common refrain in Grace’s childhood, who grew up knowing that her mother had raised her as a single parent.

In the café, a waitress recognizes Grace as the grandmother of Marcus McCourt, a famous author mourning his recently deceased wife. Thinking of Marcus and her own limited time, Grace decides to tell him her story. She buys a Dictaphone from a small shop on Saffron High Street. On the drive home, they pass the gates of Riverton, open to public visitors. Back in her room, Grace tests the recorder and begins speaking directly to Marcus about her memories.

At Christmas 1915, the war affects daily life at the manor. In the village, someone gives the footman, Alfred, a white feather for his perceived cowardice, which rattles him. David arrives at Riverton with his school friend Robbie Hunter. Robbie is artistic and unusual. He is the son of Lord Hunter by a Spanish maid who died by suicide after he was born. Raised as “illegitimate,” Robbie has recently been recognized by Lord Hunter as his heir, as he and his wife have no other children. Hannah is drawn to Robbie but is also hostile toward him. She is jealous of the siblings’ relationship and his presence threatens the secrecy of The Game. David confides that he and Robbie plan to enlist together.

While decorating the Christmas tree, Emmeline falls from a ladder and badly cuts her wrist on a shattered ornament. Grace runs for help, but Robbie acts quickly to bandage the wound. Emmeline develops a crush on Robbie, which makes Hannah feel resentful.

That night, Nancy tells Grace about the harrowing deaths of Major Jonathan and Jemima’s two small boys, who both died as a result of hemophilia. Grace also learns that Jemima is pregnant again and Nancy admonishes her to pray for the health of the baby. 

Grace goes into the village for an errand and secretly also collects a book from a peddler. She is shocked by the poverty that the man and his family live in. He is enlisting into the army in the hope of providing for them. On the way back, she bumps into Hannah coming out of secretarial offices. Hannah is secretly learning shorthand for the war effort. They bond over their shared confidences. 

At New Year’s, Alfred announces he has enlisted. Nancy reveals she has volunteered to work on the railway, filling in for men who have enlisted. As Nancy will spend less time at Riverton, Grace takes on many of her duties. This includes helping the sisters dress, giving her greater access to their lives.

In March, Grace, Nancy and Katie accompany Alfred to the station to see him off to war. They wish him well and give him parting gifts. Grace promises to write to him. On the same platform, David and Robbie are also leaving for the front, departing in the officers’ carriage. Hannah arrives and gives David a miniature book from The Game. As the train pulls away, she impulsively slips the white satin bow from her hair into Robbie’s hand.