Edith Hope

Edith is the main character of the novel; the story is told through her eyes and centers around the development of her character. Edith is a romantic fiction novelist who leads a rather dull life, attending social gatherings only at the urging of her close friend and neighbor, Penelope Milne. At one of these parties, Edith meets David and the two are instantly attracted to one another. Although David is married, he begins an affair with Edith that continues for over four years. Edith loves David, thinking about and writing to him constantly. She views herself as the type of woman who is expected to listen to others but not speak, to serve as a companion; she is the kind of person in whom people feel comfortable confiding. Edith serves this purpose in her relationships with the women she meets at the hotel and seems to accept...