Love at Paddington

Praed Street supplies a busy London backdrop for Gertie Higham, her aunt's shop and a stream of visitors with opinions about love. Mrs. Mills worries over Gertie's habits, Miss Radford brings news of her own romantic mishaps, and Mr. Trew mixes affectionate banter with doubts about the arrival of motor buses. First published in 1912, W. Pett Ridge's novel draws its comedy from familiar voices, small vanities and the bustle around Paddington Station.

Gertie's visit to a grand house gives the story another register. With Miss Loriner offering guidance, she encounters unfamiliar household arrangements and a dinner whose dishes and manners leave her watching her cousin Clarence for cues. Her interest in Henry Douglass sits alongside these awkward social moments. Readers looking for a London love story will find everyday conversation and differences of class closely intertwined, with details of hats, shop counters and dining rooms giving the relationships a concrete setting.