The Lady Paramount (1902) by Henry Harland

reviewed by John Murphy

Henry Harland is a little-known American-born Catholic writer who lived in turn-of-the-century England. Though relatively obscure today, he was hugely popular in his own time—among the literati for his work in editing the highly influential Yellow Book quarterly, whose art editor was Aubrey Beardsley, and among the hoi polloi for light romantic comedies with a Catholic atmosphere. Readers looking for witty, elegant stories with Catholic characters in lush settings (the English and Italian countryside, usually) should look no further. Harland is your man.

The Lady Paramount, like The Cardinal’s Snuff-Box before it, could almost be the libretto of a Gilbert & Sullivan comic opera. A beautiful young Italian woman, the Countess de Sampaolo, embarks on a trip to England upon coming-of-age. She rents a house from a cynical, slightly listless English gentleman named Anthony Craford. Of course, her Mediterranean charms begin to thaw his frost.

What Craford doesn’t know is that her choice to rent his property is no coincidence. Craford is the rightful heir to the throne of Sampaolo, an idyllic island off the coast of Italy where the Countess hails from. But because her ancestors were usurpers, Craford is in exile and she will inherit the throne. But she has “a little scheme” in mind to restore Craford to his rightful place…

The plot unfolds quickly, written in Harland’s creamy, charming prose. Put the kettle on or pour yourself a glass of English sherry, and curl up in your favorite armchair with The Lady Paramount. You’ll pass a delightful few hours in its company.