The Incredible Elopement of Lord Peter Wimsey
About the author: See this Wikipedia article.
Major characters:
- Langley, a British professor
- Standish Wetherall, American physician
- Alice Wetherall, his wife
- Martha, their housekeeper/cook
- Lord Peter Wimsey, a.k.a. "The wizard"
- Bunter, his manservant; a.k.a. "Juan"
Locale: The Pyranees (border of France and Spain)
Synopsis: British Professor Langley is visiting the Pyranees when he hears an old acquantance of his, Dr. Standish Wetherall, has a mountain home nearby. Standish is married to Langley's old flame, Alice (now Alice Wetherall). The locals warn Langley to stay away, as Alice is "enchanted".
Langley visits anyway to find Alice is just an unrecognizable wreck - gaunt, hair falling out, barely able to speak or feed herself. Standish taunts Langley about how he likes her now, and wouldn't he like to be with her again?
Two men appear in the village and take a cottage. The locals are frightened by their mystical ways, calling one "the wizard" and his companion "Juan". A boy visits them and finds they are indeed Christians, which leads to their acceptance by the Catholic locals.
The Wetherall's housekeeper, Martha, visits and the wizard performs strange rites and incantations in order to heal Alice. He gives Martha a supply of communion-like wafers and instructs her to give them to Alice daily. This leads to a gradual improvement in her condition.
SPOILER AHEAD - highlight to reveal: The wizard (Lord Peter) reveals Alice suffers from a thyroid problem, and Standish had intentionally withheld the needed medicine as revenge for her previous relationship with Langley. Lord Peter and Juan help her escape (the elopement) from Standish and reunite with Langley.
Mini Review: I have no idea of the medical veracity of the story, but it makes a good read. The theatrics of the incantations and rituals are quite amusing, even featuring trained (?) cats. Some unique aspects: no one is murdered, and a marriage gets broken up intentionally.
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