THE SILENT COMPANIONS by Laura Purcell

Finished Su 3/24/19
The March, 2019 selection for the Contemporary Book Club

"Laura Purcell is a former bookseller and lives in Colchester (65 miles Northeast of London) with her husband and pet guinea pigs.

Her first novel for Raven Books THE SILENT COMPANIONS won the WHSmith Thumping Good Read Award 2018 and featured in both the Zoe Ball and Radio 2 Book Clubs.  THE CORSET was published in September 2018, and will be followed by BONE CHINA and THE SHAPE OF DARKNESS in later years.

Laura’s historical fiction novels about the Hanoverian monarchs, QUEEN OF BEDLAM (2014) and MISTRESS OF THE COURT (2015), were published by Myrmidon and are available from all book retailers."

Dummy Board- EARLY 17TH CENTURY. Usually associated with the fireplace.

Gothic Characteristics:

Gloomy or decaying setting

Supernatural beings, monsters, ghosts, vampires, zombies, giants

Curses or prophecies

Damsels in distress

Heroes

Romance

Intense emotions; madness


3 TIME PERIODS:

-St. Joseph's Hospital  Elsie Bainbridge is in this asylum when the novel begins. She is suffering from muteness due to injuries suffered in a fire. her doctor, Dr. Shepherd, is sympathetic.

-THE BRIDGE 1865- This is the ancient, run-down home of Elsie's deceased husband, Rupert. She had only been married a month when he dies. The cause of death isn't addressed until later. He invested heavily in the match factory that Elsie and her brother, Jolyon owned. It is strange that Rupert would change his will and leave everything to Elsie only after knowing her for a few weeks. Elsie is not upper class and worked in the factory.

-THE BRIDGE 1635- This is during the reign of Charles I and his queen Henrietta. Anne and Josiah first lived in the house and they are happy that the king and queen will visit in August. They make many improvements to the estate and this is where the companions are purchased. Anne buys them because they will most definitely amuse the royals.
Mr. Samuels is the owner of the shop where she finds them. When she realizes that there is something strange about them she tries to return them, but the entire shop has vanished.


Sarah Bainbridge is Rupert's cousin. This young woman had worked for a wealthy woman as a 'companion'. The old woman died, Sarah had nowhere to go, so Rupert allowed her to live at The Bridge.

Elsie treats Sarah like a rube, but become close to her as the story progresses.

Sarah has had experiences with the occult because the old woman believed in mediums.

Hetta is Anne's daughter. She was born mute and has a real affinity with plants. She makes potions and Anne probably conceived her because she was taking some kind of herbs.


Merripen is the gypsy boy that wants to work at the stable. Anne doesn't want to allow this because gypsies are not to be trusted.

Mrs. Holt- the housekeeper; old and the mother of Helen by Rupert, Hates Elsie and knows more of the story of the house than anyone.

Mabel- crude helper; commits suicide because she was falsely accused of stealing Elsie's diamond necklace. Sarah really stole them, but they really belonged to A Bainbridge.

Helen- Dies when a stag mounted on the wall falls on her. She is impaled on the antlers.

Sarah visits Elsie in the end. Elsie is hoping to be exonerated, but Sarah fixes it so that she will be executed. Elsie is the reincarnation of Hetta.

Henrietta Maria is the name of the queen and 'Hetta'

Check Charles I and relation to The Restoration and Oliver Cromwell


SPLINTERS/ HISSING?????

Check the elements of Gothic Horror

https://www.virtualsalt.com/gothic.htm