Summary

In her first letter (3 – 5), Eliza describes King’s Manor, which she revisits in her imagination. She reminds Lister of their time there together, ten years previously.

In “Close Quarters,” the teenage Eliza thinks back over the past – from her childhood in India to her first day at the Manor School – before dressing and going downstairs for breakfast. Always self-conscious because of her darker skin, she is careful to avoid criticism and to secure approval for good behavior. She feels uncomfortable during a Geography lesson about the British Empire, which raises questions of racial identity. After dinner, a new pupil arrives: Anne Lister. The newcomer horrifies everyone with her un-ladylike manners and shabby appearance, and though she boasts of her family name, the Middles quickly discredit her pretensions. That night, an indignant Eliza discovers that – having always had a...