Summary

Scene 2 opens around two centuries later in the present day Sidley Park and in the same room with exchanged occupants. The table in the room has accumulated more paraphernalia in addition to what was on it in the first scene. The Croom family still owns the estate and Hannah Jarvis, a writer, is visiting the estate in order to write a book about the history of the house gardens. Chloe Croom, the daughter of the house, welcomes the flamboyantly attired Bernard Nightingale. When Bernard hears of Hannah’s presence, he asks Chloe not to mention his name to her. Chloe decides to give Bernard another name and goes into the garden in search of Hannah. Valentine Coverly, Chloe’s oldest brother and a postgraduate student at Oxford, curses his way across the room, completely ignoring Bernard. Valentine complains that everything in the house has been...