Jane Harvey

Any Thing But What You Expect. By Jane Harvey

Derby: Henry Mozley, 1819.

 

Synopsis of Any Thing But What You Expect

 

Although Any Thing But What You Expect primarily details the life of Cordelia Walpole, a young upper-class girl in the early nineteenth century, it also provides many unique plot twists and character traits that are, of course, anything but what one would expect. An intriguing printing flaw, however, labels the title throughout the initial chapter of Volume I as Any Thing But What We Expect, a flaw not repeated throughout the rest of the three volumes.

The novel opens in St. Albans, where Cordelia Walpole is traveling with her guardian, Mrs. Emerson, to visit Cordelia's father, Sir Charles Walpole. Sir Charles is on his deathbed in Holleyfield, his own estate. They find travel arrangements lacking, since Lady Harriet Walpole, Cordelia's stepmother, intentionally failed to accommodate the two travelers. However, a kind young gentleman offers the female pair an escort to Holleyfield. On the ride to Holleyfield an odd event occurs when a hijacker attacks the carriage they are traveling in, although the gentleman's groom shoots the robber, wounding him. Upon arriving at Holleyfield, Cordelia and Mrs. Emerson learn that the kind young man is actually Lord Alexander Lochcarron, who is the son of Sir Charles's arch-enemy and neighbor, Lord Dunotter. Cordelia and Mrs. Emerson stay at Holleyfield, although they are unable to see Sir Charles until morning.

At this point in the novel, a short family history lesson unravels the reason Cordelia is separated from her father in the first place. Cordelia's great-grandfather was not educated, although he had wealth. Because of his lack of education, he was unable to budget his riches well. Therefore, he decided that his own son, Cordelia's grandfather, would be well-educated, so that his father's history did not repeat itself. However, after her grandfather accumulated money from his education, he chose not to educate his son in order for his son to be a true nobleman. It was this uneducated, rich son then, Sir Charles Walpole, who fell in love with the poor daughter of a clergyman who lived in the mountains. After Sir Charles's father learned of their secret marriage, he immediately wrote Charles out of his will, leaving the newlyweds penniless and Charles without a means to make money through a learned profession. Cordelia was soon born and her mother died shortly after, leaving her father to raise the baby. Charles then left Cordelia with Mrs. Emerson, a friend of the family, while he struck out on his own.

As soon as this information is disclosed, the focus pops back onto the present situation. Sir Charles dies, leaving in his will that Cordelia now be taken care of by her stepmother, Lady Walpole. Because Mrs. Emerson is upset by this information, and also because she dislikes Lady Walpole, she leaves Holleyfield and Cordelia. Lady Walpole, in an effort to introduce her "daughter" to others in the community, invites her friend, Lady Hootside, as well as Lady Hootside's three children, over to Holleyfield. Lady Melissa Mannark, the eldest daughter of Lady Hootside, is so aloof that she wears heavy fur coats because she thinks it is the month of February, when it was in fact June. Lady Caroline Mannark, the younger daughter of Lady Hootside, is pale and thin and would not eat, being described simply as "bizarre." Lady Hootside's only son, however, Lord Hootside, is rebellious in regard to his mother and sisters' odd and presumptuous behavior. It is when Cordelia, Lord Hootside, and Lady Melissa are on a carriage ride through the woods that a storm arises, and they are forced to take shelter in a small cabin. The cabin, as they soon learn, is inhabited by Miss Borham, a young, beautiful girl who is the orphaned daughter of a clergyman. Her uncle, Mr. Pringle, is an employee of Lord Dunotter and also lives in the cabin. Cordelia immediately recognizes Miss Borham's name, for it has been rumored that she and Lord Lochcarron have been seen together.

Following this chance meeting of Cordelia and Miss Borham, the rumors concerning Lord Lochcarron's interest in Miss Borham are confirmed with his contact with Lord Dunotter's sister, Lady Charlotte Malcolm. It is told that Lady Charlotte wanted to marry a clergyman, but her father stopped this incongruous match by sending the clergyman to a far-away church, where he soon-after died. Since that time, Lady Charlotte never married, although she did continue to hold a romantic view of love and marriage. It is with this knowledge that Lord Lochcarron confides in her his love for Miss Borham, for plans for a more appropriate marriage are in the works for Lord Lochcarron. Lady Walpole, in the meantime, has been planning and strategizing in order to plan a double marriage for her and Cordelia to Lord Dunotter and Lord Lochcarron, respectively.

Lord Dunotter is in agreement with both unions, for he knows that his wealth, and subsequently his son's wealth, has been waning slowly. A marriage to the Walpoles, although former enemies to Dunotter, would bring both families financial bliss, especially since both matches would agree in class and status. Therefore, Lord Lochcarron attempts to feign his interest in Cordelia, although he finds her boring and frivolous. So ends Volume I.

Volume II of the triple-decker novel begins with the double wedding of Lady and Miss Walpole to Lord Dunotter and Lord Lochcarron, respectively. However, just a few minutes into the wedding dinner, Lord Lochcarron leaves hastily. He does not return. Everyone begins looking for him and attempting to discover his reason for leaving and his subsequent whereabouts to no avail. Everyone has different ideas, of course, as to why he left. Cordelia entertains many, as well, and becomes sick. She blames herself for breaking up Lord Lochcarron and Miss Borham and realizes that she had superficial, negative motives, including money and status, in her mind when convincing herself that a marriage to Lord Lochcarron was justifiable. During her sickness, Cordelia requests for Mrs. Emerson to be sent for. However, Lady Dunotter instead sends a chilly invitation to Mrs. Emerson to visit, not mentioning Cordelia's illness or marital state at all, to which Mrs. Emerson graciously declines.

An unexpected change of events, though, causes a turn in the storyline. As Lord Dunotter is out riding his horse one snowy day, his horse slips on some ice. Lord Dunotter falls and is injured very badly. He becomes very ill, only to have his arm amputated in an attempt to better his condition. It is during Lord Dunotter's recovery that one learns that Miss Borham is on her deathbed and not expected to last much longer. Since Cordelia has been so devoted to tending Lord Dunotter throughout his sickness, he feels a certain compassion for the husbandless bride and discloses four personal letters to her to read. The first letter is from Mr. Pringle to Lord Dunotter, telling of Pringle's dishonesty in dealings with Lord Dunotter's land possessions. The second letter is from Lord Lochcarron to Lord Dunotter on the wedding night, giving his reasons for leaving as anger and betrayal at Lord Dunotter. The third letter disclosed is from Miss Borham to Lady Charlotte, telling Lady Charlotte of Miss Borham's true love for Lord Dunotter, not his son, although she feels that she did lead Lord Lochcarron on. Even on the wedding day, Miss Borham received a letter from Lord Dunotter, asking her to stay at his house, although she refused. Miss Caroline Borham wrote to Lady Charlotte on her deathbed so that she would know the truth about Lord Lochcarron's reason for leaving his wife - the betrayal of his father. The fourth and final letter is from Lord Dunotter to Cordelia herself, explaining everything and begging her to take the letters and the news of his own ailment to Lord Lochcarron, that the father and son may make reparations and Lord Lochcarron could be reunited with his wife.

Cordelia and Lord Dunotter make plans for Cordelia to travel to tell Lord Lochcarron about his father's illness. They keep these plans from Lady Dunotter, however, knowing all too well that she would attempt to prevent Cordelia from traveling after her runaway husband - that being too unladylike and unbecoming for an upper-class woman. However, Cordelia does bring along a female escort, on older woman named Mrs. Brooks. Mrs. Brooks is a friend to Mrs. Emerson and has good characteristics for a travel companion. Before Cordelia leaves, though, she meets Lord Hootside and his new wife. Because of Cordelia's indefinable status in society now that she is married yet husbandless, the couple do not know how to address Cordelia and end up encountering a very awkward situation.

Because of the secret nature of Cordelia's trip, she must attempt to conceal the fact that she is a noblewoman. Therefore, she and Mrs. Brooks travel in modest means and Cordelia travels under the assumed name of Mrs. Beaumont. The beginning of the journey to find Lord Lochcarron ends Volume II.

Volume III begins with Cordelia and Mrs. Brooks following Lord Lochcarron to Lyme. The baggage of Lord Lochcarron is still in the house he stayed, although he has already left for Dorchester. At church in Dorchester, Cordelia, attempting to conceal her identity, spots acquaintances from the nobleperson circle, although they fail to see her. Then, at a benefit concert that night, Cordelia spots Lord Lochcarron across the room! She sends Mrs. Brooks to speak with him later, but he has already left for Blandford only an hour previously. Next, Cordelia and Mrs. Brooks follow Lord Lochcarron to Cranbourn, where Mrs. Brooks inevitably catches a cold, delaying them on their travels. However, after Mrs. Brooks recovers, Cordelia and Mrs. Brooks unknowingly follow Lord Lochcarron to Andover, since they believe that their hold-up in Cranbourn delayed them too much to continue their pursuit of the lord. However, the two women stay in a private house for the duration of their time in Andover. As Cordelia is out for a walk one day, she meets none other than Lord Lochcarron! He does not recognize Cordelia at all as they engage in delightful conversation. He thinks his wife is boring and dull, incapable of uttering two coherent words, much less participating in a conversation. However, Lord Lochcarron is enraptured with this woman - a perfect stranger in his mind - that somehow connects with him on every level. Lord Lochcarron walks Cordelia back to the house where she is staying and promises to call on her the very next day. Cordelia, in the meantime, is tormented by her visions of Lord Lochcarron realizing who she really is and fleeing again from her.

However, true to his word, Lord Lochcarron calls the next day. Cordelia is still getting ready upstairs, so Mrs. Brooks and Lord Lochcarron converse for a few minutes together. Within the conversation, Mrs. Brooks mentions that Cordelia is actually Lady Lochcarron. Lord Lochcarron feels so much remorse for his actions against such a wonderful woman that he rushes out of the house, promising to write a letter begging for forgiveness from Cordelia. Cordelia, in the meantime, has received three letters. The first is black-sealed and from Mrs. Emerson. The black seal tells of the news of a death, which turns out to be Cordelia's Aunt Holmes, who left a significant amount of money to her only heir, Cordelia herself. The next letter is from Lady Dunotter, demanding that Cordelia come home, for Lady Dunotter has found out about Cordelia and Lord Dunotter's plan. The third letter is from Philipson, a trusted male servant of Lord Dunotter's, telling Cordelia of travel plans.

The next morning, though, Cordelia receives a letter of deep repentance from Lord Lochcarron. She accepts and travels home with her husband and Mrs. Brooks. It is revealed that Miss Borham died at the very same time that Lord Lochcarron learns that Cordelia is the woman he was beginning to fall in love with. When Lady and Lord Lochcarron return back, they find that Lord Dunotter has converted back to the church on his deathbed. Lord Dunotter also instructs Lord Lochcarron to choose a political party, after the two have made reparations. The novel concludes with Lady and Lord Lochcarron living together in marital bliss, while Lord Dunotter subsequently expires.

- Prepared by Stacia M. Troshynski, University of Nebraska, December 2002