E.F. Benson

Trouble for Lucia

  • Chapter One

    Lucia debates keeping her daily marketing as Mayor of Tilling while Georgie unveils a ruby velvet dinner suit and the town asks who her Mayoress will be.

  • Chapter Two

    Lucia, Mayor-elect of Tilling, needs a Mayoress, and after Diva, Mr Wyse, the Padre and Major Benjy all lobby, she waits for Elizabeth to beg.

  • Chapter Three

    Elizabeth tells Tilling that Lucia begged her to be Mayoress, then Major Benjy sets out to horsewhip the Argus editor over Irene's photo of her.

  • Chapter Four

    Lucia bans playing bridge for money and puts Georgie up for the Town Council seat against Elizabeth Mapp-Flint, who wins by 805 votes to 421.

  • Chapter Five

    Lucia returns to Bridge for money and fakes Blue Birdie's disappearance at Susan's séance, then Elizabeth's false teeth arrive by mistake.

  • Chapter Six

    Lucia loses control of her new bicycle down Landgate Street and insists on being summoned before her own court for dangerous riding.

  • Chapter Seven

    Elizabeth pockets the silver cap of Benjy's riding-whip at dinner, so Lucia has a replica made and plants it behind Diva's cupboard to be found.

  • Chapter Eight

    Lucia and Georgie attend Olga's box at the Covent Garden premiere of Cortese's Lucrezia, sharing it with the Duchess of Sheffield, Poppy.

  • Chapter Nine

    Lucia talks her way into Sheffield Castle after the party is cancelled, but Poppy turns her away, and she returns to find Olga alone with Georgie.

  • Chapter Ten

    Irene paints Lucia in Mayoral robes, Elizabeth's committee rejects it for the Town Hall, and Lucia snatches the novelist Susan Leg from Elizabeth.

  • Chapter Eleven

    Elizabeth's committee leads the Council to reject Lucia's portrait, Poppy fails to recognise Lucia, then she hosts Poppy but nobody believes it.

  • Chapter Twelve

    Nobody believes the Duchess stayed with Lucia, so she insults all of Tilling after church, then Poppy returns to Mallards and proves it.