The Wings of the Dove

Kate Croy is a beautiful, clever young woman with a tragic past. Her mother and two brothers have died. Her sister, Marian Condrip, is widowed with four children. Her father, Lionel Croy, a consummate narcissist and pathological liar, has committed an unnamed terrible deed and been cast out of polite society. After her mother’s death, Kate is taken in by a wealthy aunt, Maud Lowder. However, Aunt Maud will only support Kate if she agrees to cut off all contact with her dissolute father. At the opening of The Wings of the Dove, Kate is in her father’s shabby apartment to discuss these arrangements. He keeps her waiting by pretending to be sick. When he finally appears, Kate tells him that if he wants her in his life, she will reject Aunt Maud’s terms. However, her father refuses. He thinks that Aunt Maud will ensure Kate will marry a rich man, at which point he can come back into Kate’s life and take advantage of her newfound wealth. He intimates to Kate that he has heard she has been seeing a poor man, and he chastises her for this unsound judgment.