The House at Riverton

Grace narrates the year before the tragedy, describing Hannah Hartford’s life in London. Robbie Hunter visits to return a book belonging to the late David Hartford. Emmeline recognizes Robbie from Riverton and invites him to dinner, where he is revealed as the poet R. S. Hunter. Family dynamics in the Luxton house continue to be rigid: Hannah is confined by her marriage to Teddy Luxton and Deborah Luxton controls the household Emmeline moves through London society. 

After Mr. Frederick kills himself, Robbie offers condolences. He and Hannah begin a secret affair and fall in love. They meet on Robbie’s barge on the Thames, using parties as cover. Deborah grows suspicious and persuades Teddy to bar Robbie from the house. To circumvent this, Robbie escorts Emmeline to parties as a pretext to see Hannah. Robbie gives Hannah a copy of Ulysses and confides his war trauma to her. After a violent nightmare, he begs Hannah to run away with him. She treats his plan as a game but grows more withdrawn as the family prepares to return to Riverton.