Brixton House Party

The Brixton House Party was a house party hosted by the Duchess of Brixton the weekend of April 19, 1811, at Brixton Hall in Hampshire.

Guests

Lord Emerson, Lady Emerson, Miss Pritchard and Miss Hampton
Viscountess Tessington and Miss Beacham
Mrs. Greystone, Ladies Viola and Olivia Fitzgerald
Lord Parry
Lord Avening, Lady Gwendolyn Moncrieff and Miss Clare
Mr. Brett
Mr. Middleton, Lady Jane Middleton, and Miss Wriothesley
Lady Newburry and Lady Beatrice Howard
Lady Saxton and Lady Cassandra Edgeworth
Miss Clement
Katharine, Countess of Carrington
Earl of Aukland
Lord and Lady Worth
Admiral Blewitt
Captain Brydges
Mr. and Miss Rutledge
Lord Wyck
Lord and Lady Hawksley
The Duke of Leighton and Lord William Gosling

The Guest Rooms

• All private guest rooms include an attached dressing room.
  
• Some guest rooms are joined together by interior hallways as illustrated on the map.
  
• There are several privy rooms located in each wing.
  
• The second staircase is intended to be used by liveried servants only.
  
• The smaller staircases are access to the basement, wine cellar and servants quarters.
  
• Rooms that are not labeled do have purposes but are left to the guest discretion.
  

Ground Level Floorplan

1. Lady Beatrice Howard
2. Katharine, Countess of Carrington
3. Mr. Brett
4. Admiral Blewitt
5. Miss Clement
6. Lady Sandton

7. Lord Worth
8. Lady Worth
9. Mr. Rutledge
10. Miss Rutledge
11. Dowager Lady Hawksley
12. Lady Newburry

First Level Floorplan

13. Lord Parry
14. Lord Hawksley
15. Dowager Lady Emerson
16. Miss Pritchard & Miss Hampton
17. Lord Emerson
18. Lord Gabriel Pritchard

19. Lord Auckland
20. Lady Gwendolyn Moncrieff
21. Lord Avening
22. Captain Brydges
23. Miss Clare
24. Lady Sylvia Holmes

25. Lord William Gosling
26. Lord Tessington
27. Lord Wadebridge
28. The Duke of Leighton
29. Lady Tessington
30. Miss Beacham

31. Lord Wyck
32. Mr. Carlisle
33. Lady Saxton
34. Lady Cassandra Edgeworth
35. Mrs. Greystone
36. Ladies Viola & Olivia Fitzgerald

April 19th

Scheduled Events

• Arrivals - afternoon
• Dinner in the Grand Hall (ground level room J) - evening
• Evening Entertainment in the Ballroom (ground level room C) - evening

Threads

• The Frivolous Lives: The Duchess of Brixton greets her guests.
• The Artist and the Actress: Lady Newburry and Lady Beatrice Howard arrive at Brixton Hall.
• "The time has come, the walrus said.": Captain Brydges and Admiral Blewitt arrive at Brixton Hall.
• Far Above Rubies: Lord Hawksley arrives at Brixton Hall.
• Life Is A Highway: Lord Wyck and Lady Carrington arrive at Brixton Hall and meet for the first time. They speak briefly before venturing inside Brixton Hall to freshen up.
• Now That We're Here: Lord Avening, Lady Sylvia Holmes, Lady Gwendolyn Moncrieff, and Miss Clare arrive at Brixton Hall. Lady Sylvia reminds Miss Clare to remember her manners. Mr. Brett has followed the party in the servants' carriage. All disembark and enter the house.
• Trump Cards and Carriage Bumps: Miss Pritchard, Miss Hampton, Lady Emerson, Lord Emerson, Lord Gabriel Pritchard, and Lord Parry arrive at Brixton Hall. They arrive simultaneously with Lady Viola Fitzgerald, her sister Lady Olivia, and their chaperone, Mrs. Greystone. Lady Viola attempted to avoid the party but was thwarted by Mrs. Greystone and must converse with the Pritchards until they are all shown to their respective rooms.
• Fight or Flight and Both: The Duchess of Pennington arrives at Brixton Hall with Mr. Whinging. The duchess fought with the duke earlier that morning and is in a poor mood as a result. She indicates to Mr. Whinging that he is not to be at her side all weekend. Mr. Whinging grimly understands.
• Musing in the Gardens: After a brief nap and a change of clothes, Miss Hampton visits the duchess's gardens where she encounters the duke of Leighton. The duke invites Miss Hampton for a horse ride, though that idea is abandoned given the logistics of a lady readying for a ride. Instead, they decide to visit the duke's horse in the stables and discuss various topics on their walk, including their childhoods, their homes, and children before the duke escorts Miss Hampton back to the house to ready for dinner.
• Madonna of the Rose Bower: Shortly after arrival, Lady Carrington visits the rose garden for a moment of peace and quiet.
• London Escapees: Lord William Gosling meets Miss Beacham in the rose gardens with her dog, Dudley. Lady Carrington's solitude in the rose garden is interrupted by the arrival of Lord William and Miss Beacham. Lord William introduces the two women, notes Lady Carrington's disapproval of his escort of Miss Beacham, and invites her to join them anyway. The three agree to a pall mall match to be played the following morning. Lord William excuses himself, and the two ladies eventually make their way back to the house.
• Fish Tales: Shortly after arrival, Lord Gabriel Pritchard visits the fish pond where he finds Captain Brydges. The two chat for a time before being joined by Lady Olivia Fitzgerald and Mrs. Greystone, who introduces Lady Olivia to the captain before not-so-subtly abandoning her charge to the care of the two eligible bachelors. The three discuss charades, Lady Tessington, and the masque planned for the following evening, before returning indoors to prepare for dinner.
• A Chance Encounter: Shortly after arrival, Lady Cassandra Edgeworth meets Lord Wyck for the first time and is escorted downstairs by him. Her temper flares but Lord Wyck assured her that no offense was taken. Lord Wyck leaves Lady Cassandra in the care of Lady Olivia Fitzgerald. The two exchange friendly gossip.
• Academic Admiration: Lord Hawksley and Miss Pritchard meet for the first time and tour Brixton Hall's art gallery. Lord Hawskley notes Miss Pritchard's pretty smile but dismisses her as a bridal prospect because she reminds him too much of his sister. Lord Hawksley escorts Miss Pritchard to her room to allow her to dress for dinner before departing.
• To Guard an Heiress: Lord Avening visits Miss Clare and offers to let her come live with him, Lady Gwendolyn Moncrieff, and Lady Sylvia Holmes at Avening Manor instead of with her stepmother.
• "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?": The Duchess of Brixton takes a walk with her former suitor and dear friend Lord Avening. They share a kiss and discuss the masque planned the following evening.
• On the Terrace: After Lord Avening's offer, Miss Clare visits the terrace and meets Lord Wyck for the first time. Lord Wyck offers her a cigar, which surprises her. She demurs. They compare country life to city life, but Lord Wyck grows bored with the conversation and is relieved when Miss Clare announces her need to return to her room to prepare for dinner.
• Kith, Kin & Kit: Lord Parry introduces Lady Viola Fitzgerald to her own cousin, Mr. Carlisle. Lady Viola does not conform to Mr. Carlisle's expectations of her. The three discuss their respective families before returning inside for dinner and charades.
• The Flighty and the Fair: The Duchess of Pennington joins Lady Tessington before dinner. Lady Tessington reveals that she is chaperoning Miss Beacham for the weekend, and the two gossip about the party's other guests as well as those who remained in London for the weekend. They are joined by Lord Wyck and later Lady Carrington, the latter wishing to speak with Lady Tessington about her charge's choice of companions, namely Lord William Gosling.
• Old Friend, New Situation: After dinner, Miss Clare joined Miss Hampton for a conversation in the drawing room. Miss Hampton reveals that there is to be a masque the following evening, and Miss Clare realizes she has no costume planned. The two also discuss their impressions of the Season thus far and their hopes for marriage before they are joined by Lady Gwendolyn and Lady Sylvia, thus effectively ending their conversation.
• Après: After dinner, the Duke of Leighton and Lord William Gosling play alphabet tiles and silently discuss Miss Beacham. Lady Carrington joins the brothers, making small talk with the duke while playing tiles with Lord William. Lady Carrington and Lord William depart separately, and Lord Parry joins the duke for some light banter.
• A Game of Whist: Miss Beacham, Lady Gwendolyn Moncrieff, Captain Brydges, and Lord Gabriel Pritchard play a game of whist after dinner. After his game of alphabet tiles with his brother and Lady Carrington, Lord William Gosling joins the card table as an observer and flirts with Miss Beacham. Miss Beacham and Captain Brydges lose the card game and must sing a song as forfeit.
• "Once More, with Feeling!" As their forfeit from the game of whist, Captain Brydges and Miss Beacham entertain the party with a song after dinner.
• The Sound of Music: After dinner, Lady Viola Fitzgerald takes up the pianoforte and catches the attention of Lord Emerson, to the amusement of Lord Parry. Lord Parry and Miss Pritchard join Lady Viola at the piano, only to have Lord Emerson join them. Lord Emerson agrees to sing with Lady Viola as Lord Parry agrees to partner with Miss Pritchard. During Lord Emerson's song with Lady Viola, Lord Parry begins to feel intrusive and pulls Miss Pritchard away. Lady Viola excuses herself and Lord Emerson follows her onto the terrace. The two converse about music and performing before returning indoors.
• Pieta!: Miss Pritchard and Lord Parry discuss Lord Hawksley, and Lord Emerson and Lady Viola. They are joined by Lady Olivia Fitzgerald, and Lord Parry excuses himself. Lady Olivia asks if Miss Pritchard and Lord Parry are engaged (they are not) and discuss other things as well before Lady Emerson comes to collect Miss Pritchard for bed.
• Corner Conversation: After dinner, Miss Rutledge composes a letter to her father before engaging in conversation with Lord Hawksley. They briefly discuss politics and their mutual lack of interest in the subject before moving to the subject of art and then their experiences and impressions of London.
• Smoke & Mirrors: Lord William Gosling joins Lord Wyck on the terrace but is disappointed by the latter's somber mood.
• Favours: Just before retiring for the evening, Miss Beacham "accidentally" drops her hair ribbons on the floor outside Lord William Gosling's bedroom. Lord William discovers them and is disappointed to realize that he does not know which room is Miss Beacham's.
• Late Night Bonding: After retiring for the evening, Miss Clare and Lady Gwendolyn Moncrieff discuss the masque planned for the following evening as well as Lord Wyck's reputation.

April 20th

Scheduled Events

• Breakfast - morning
• Tea on the terrace - afternoon
• Dinner in the Grand Hall (ground floor room J) - evening
• Charades and Masqued Ball (ground floor room C) - evening
  • Costumes
    • Miss Beacham: Angel
    • Captain Brydges (and Jim the Capuchin Monkey): Pirate (and Monkey)
    • Mr. Carlisle: Domino
    • Miss Clare: Morgan le Fay (originally cut for Lady Gwendolyn's proportions)
    • Lady Olivia Fitzgerald: Milkmaid
    • Lady Viola Fitzgerald: Sultana
    • Lord William Gosling: Musketeer
    • Miss Hampton: Sea Nymph
    • Lord Hawksley: Domino
    • Lord Parry: Harlequin
    • Lord Avening: Plague Doctor
    • Lord Emerson: Bertram, Count of Rousillon
    • Miss Pritchard: Dancer
    • Lord Gabriel Pritchard: Robin Hood
    • Lord Wyck: Mephistopheles
    • Lady Carrington: Tiger Lily

Threads

• Early One Morning: Lady Olivia Fitzgerald and Miss Beacham take an early morning walk. They discuss their plans for the day and the difficulty of making new friends in London.
• Brothers & a Belle: The Duke of Leighton and his brother meet Miss Beacham on their way to the terrace before their planned pall mall match with the Countess of Carrington. Lord William and Miss Beacham convince the duke to join the game.
• Look & Listen: After breakfast, Lord Hawksley and Miss Hampton view the sculpture gallery. The two discuss the party's other guests, including the Goslings and Miss Beacham, as well as Captain Brydges, before the conversation turns to the subject of marriage, romance, and religious faith.
• Stability: Lady Morton goes for a morning walk and happens upon Lady Tessington. The two discuss their respective charges for the weekend (Miss Beacham for Lady Tessington and Miss Rutledge for Lady Worth) before being joined by Mr. Carlisle. They discuss the evening's planned activities before each go their separate ways.
• Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake...: Lady Gwendolyn Moncrieff loses Mr. Brett in Brixton Forest but finds Lord Wyck. Lord Wyck offers her a cigar, and Lady Gwendolyn tries his. Lord Wyck makes an indecent proposal, and Lady Gwendolyn requests time to consider before departing.
• A Lantern in the Dark: Mr. Brett loses Lady Gwendolyn Moncrieff in Brixton Forest and also loses himself. He finds, however, Mr. Whinging. Mr. Brett worries Mr. Whinging is Lord Avening's spy or possibly the duchess of Pennington's relation. They discuss their patrons and their respective arts.
• Experiences of (un)consciousness: After her conversation with Lord Wyck, Lady Gwendolyn Moncrieff finds Lord Parry in the library. Due to a slip of the tongue, Lord Parry suspects Lord William Gosling has done something to upset Lady Gwendolyn and is displeased.
• Let the Games Begin!: Lady Carrington waits for the Duke of Leighton, Lord William Gosling, and Miss Beacham on the terrace. She takes reads too much into a comment by Captain Brydges, takes offense, and scares him off. The Gosling brothers and Miss Beacham join her, and the game begins. Various players long to strike other players with their mallets. Lord William and Miss Beacham flirt despite Lady Carrington's best efforts. The group is joined by Lord Hawksley before finishing the game.
• All's Fair in Love & War: After the pall mall match, the Duke of Leighton goes for a walk with Lord Hawksley. They discuss Miss Beacham's relationship with Lord William as well as a potential relationship between the duke and Miss Beacham. The two men also discuss Miss Hampton, and Lord Hawksley effective convinces the duke to end his suit.
• Curtsies to a Queen: Lord and Lady Tessington ready themselves for the masque.
• En Guarde: The Duke of Leighton warns his brother away from Miss Beacham.
• Passing on Morgana: Lady Gwendolyn Moncrieff decides not to attend the masque and offers her costume to Miss Clare. Unfortunately, Miss Clare's proportions differ from Lady Gwendolyn's, making the costume borderline immodest. The two ladies fashion a shawl to cover Miss Clare's assets.
• The revellers are entering...: The masqued ball opens. Guests enter and mingle before splitting up into smaller groups.
• When the soul is touched with passion's flame, we look around and ask - who burns the same?: Lord Wyck, dressed as Mephistopheles, mistakes Miss Clare for Lady Gwendolyn Moncrieff. Realizing his error, he excuses himself.
• Men in Black: Mr. Carlisle and Lord Hawksley are amused by their matching costumes and matching physiques. The two discuss their hostess and the likely reasons ladies choose particular costumes.
• Quiet Corners: Mr. Whinging attends the masque without the duchess of Pennington but promptly meets Miss Clare for the first time, who is uncomfortable in her costume. Each admits they are not sure they are enjoying the party.
• Dancing Through Life: Dressed as a dancer, Miss Pritchard is shocked by Lord Avening's plague doctor costume. The two engage in light conversation before Lord Avening escorts her to the refreshment table.
• The Monkey's Uncle: Miss Beacham follows Captain Brydges to obtain a better acquaintance with Jim the Monkey. Captain Brydges offers some sage advice to Miss Beacham regarding affairs of the heart.
• Take thine ease; eat, drink, and be merry...: Lady Carrington strikes up a conversation with Captain Brydges, not knowing he was the same man to whom she was rude that morning. When she realizes her mistake, she apologizes in metaphors. The captain understands and accepts her apology. Lady Carrington then asks, again in code, if Captain Brydges has seen Miss Beacham and intimates that she has attracted the attention of Lord William Gosling. Captain Brydges suggests searching the orangery.
• Misery likes company: Lady Viola Fitzgerald, having recently fought with her sister, is in a poor mood at the masque. She is joined by Lord William Gosling, and the two engage in a light flirtation. Lord William invites Lady Viola out on the terrace; she declines. He leaves and Lady Viola is joined by Lord Emerson, who recognizes that she has had a bit too much to drink. He escorts her around the ballroom and briefly offends her. They discuss their families' respective penchants for amateur playacting. Lord Parry inserts himself into the conversation and is sternly rebuffed by Lady Viola. Lady Viola and Lord Emerson part on pleasant terms.
• This Night Of A Thousand Stars: Lord William Gosling, feeling disgruntled after his interaction with Lady Viola Fitzgerald, happens upon Miss Beacham on the terrace. He escorts her off the terrace and into the darkness before kissing her. Miss Beacham comes to her senses and abandons Lord William in tears. She runs into Lady Carrington, who confirms nothing truly dire has occurred before instructing her to go to bed. Lady Carrington then seeks out Lord William and scolds him for his behavior.
• Working You Undercover; Softly, Slowly, Got You...: Lord Wyck arranges for a secret delivery of a cigar to Lady Gwendolyn Moncrieff's room.

April 21st

Unplayed
Scheduled Events

• Departures - all day