Deane Priory

Deane Priory is Loraine Wade’s home, where her half-brother Gerald Wade lived whenever he was not in town. About twenty miles from the place where his death is discussed, it becomes the setting for two consequential encounters: the delivery of news to Loraine and her later decision to seek Jimmy Thesiger’s advice about Seven Dials.

Home and Setting

Gerald Wade’s half-sister lived at Deane Priory, and he stayed with her when he was away from town. The house is introduced through its somewhat neglected garden, reached by a paved walk. There Loraine appears with two black spaniels; one, Elizabeth, has recently had puppies and is described as suspicious. The shabby tweeds and the dogs give the first meeting a quiet, domestic character, far removed from the criminal mystery that will soon draw Loraine in.

The News of Gerald Wade’s Death

After Gerald’s death, Ronald Devereux undertakes the difficult task of telling Loraine, accompanied by Jimmy. The maid says Loraine is in the garden and offers to summon Mrs. Coker, but Jimmy makes clear that they do not wish to see her. Instead, they go out to the paved walk, where Loraine meets them with the dogs. The visit links the house directly to the consequences of Gerald’s death: it is where his family learns of the loss, and where the surviving friends encounter the person most affected by it.

Loraine’s Search for Answers

Deane Priory later figures in Loraine’s effort to understand the deaths surrounding her. After reading Gerald’s unfinished letter, which had been sent to her, she tries to reach Ronald Devereux and learns that he is away. She then comes to see Jimmy, Ronald’s other close friend, hoping he can tell her what to do. In conversation with Bundle Brent, Loraine identifies Seven Dials as the matter behind her visit. The house and garden thus recur as a point of transition: first a family home receiving the news of a death, then the place from which Loraine turns toward the investigation.