Cover of the novel on Goodreads
Consider The Lily is a novel by Elizabeth Buchan, published in 1993. The story is centered on Matty Verral, a stubborn and insecure heiress, her cousin Daisy Chudleigh, and Kit Dysart, the handsome but penniless heir to Nether Hinton.The novel begins in 1929, when Matty and Daisy attend the wedding of Kit's older sister Polly. Kit and Daisy become enamoured with each other, and get closer during a holiday in France. Matty is also in love with Kit, and on the return journey to England she asks him to marry her. In dire need of money, Kit reluctantly accepts. Daisy is furious, and Kit is resentful of relying Matty's fortune.Trapped in a loveless marriage with Kit, Matty begins to focus on improving the garden, and becomes obsessed with the death of Kit's mother. Daisy's life begins to slowly fall apart, and Kit begins to realise that his selfishness could ruin his life.
This novel provides examples of:
- Better with Non-Human Company: Danny is blunt and abrupt to the point of extreme rudeness with other people, but he's the complete opposite with dogs and horses. It's implied that this is due to trauma from the horrors he witnessed during WWI.
- Delicate and Sickly: Matty is often seen as being delicate due to her heart condition, which she gained after surviving a bout of rheumatic fever as a child. This leads to a significant amount of self-loathing on Matty's part, as she views herself as a burden to those around her.
- The Dutiful Son: Kit commits his life to improving the lot of the Dysart family and refurbishing Nether Hinton, going as far as to marry Matty for her money while still being head over heels in love with Daisy.
- Genteel Interbellum Setting: The novel is set in England among the landed gentry in 1929
- Good Is Not Soft: Robin, the kindly town doctor, has no problem standing up to Sir Rupert.
- Law of Inverse Fertility: Matty yearns to have a child with Kit, but can't because of her poor health.
- Love Triangle: Between Kit, Matty and Daisy.
- Marriage of Convenience: Kit marries Matty for the Verral fortune. Their marriage is for the most part a loveless one, not for a lack of trying on Matty's end.
- Meekness is Weakness: Matty is viewed as weak and feeble because she's shy and quiet, and has trouble standing up for herself.
- Missing Mom: Kit's mother, who committed suicide when Kit was twelve.
- My Secret Pregnancy: Daisy conceals her pregnancy from Kit, and flees to France in order to hide from gossip.
- Parental Abandonment: Matty's parents died of dysentery when Matty was five.
- Preppy Name: Flora, Matilda and Polly.
- Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: Flora is taller than Robin, and is described as being strong and well-built. She has to bend down to kiss Robin.
- Uptown Girl: Flora, who is from the aristocratic Dysart family, falls in love with Robin, the town doctor from a working-class background.
