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“‘What a severe creature you are, Alicia!” said my lady, making a little grimace. ‘I suppose you mean to infer by all that, that I’m deceitful. Why, I can’t help smiling at people, and speaking prettily to them. I know I’m no better than the rest of the world, but I can’t help it if i’m pleasanter. It’s constitutional.’” (Lady Audley, page 108)

Lady Audley’s acknowledgment that she is overly friendly on purpose gives the implication that she is trying to project this happy image that she created as much as possible so that people won’t suspect her of keeping a secret. This relates to the binary found in this passage where Lady Audley is trying to outwardly portray the ideal Victorian woman and fulfills the “Angel of the household” stereotype – charming and innocent – all while working to shield her secrets from the rest of the characters. Lady Audley is often contrasted with Alicia Audley, who is active (especially for a Victorian lady) and is constantly described as being in motion with her “bouncing walk”. Another notable Alicia characteristic that differs from Lady Audley is that she is full of passion – as evidenced by her shouting at her cousin Robert. Alicia being pushed out of the domestic sphere when Lucy became Lady Audley adds to the binary of Lady Audley doing everything she can to avoid suspicion. However, Alicia thinks that Lady Audley is too friendly, and does not consider her to be genuine. This assessment relates back to the poem “The Last Duchess”. Both Lady Audley and the Duchess are described as being overly nice and borderline flirtatious. Here, however, it seems that Michael Audley is not suspicious of his wife at all and is instead completely under her thumb. Instead is it the “wild” character Alicia and the animals (the dog and horse) that do not trust Lady Audley.

“Better, perhaps that I should be out of the house – better, perhaps, that I should never have entered it…Oh, pray, do not be alarmed, Lady Audley,” he said gravely. “You have no sentimental nonsense, no silly infatuation, borrowed from Balzac, or Dumas fils, to fear from me.” Excerpt, Braddon p. 142

In this passage, Robert Audley has begun to interrogate Lady Audley. Leading up to this, Lady Audley had been talking with Robert about how “unfortunate” she thought it was that Robert had to be kicked out of their house. The reason she gives for Robert Audley being forced to leave is that her husband, Michael Audley, was concerned with it being “dangerous” for a man to be smoking so much around his wife. She tells Robert than he is owed an apology, because of her husband’s “silly thinking.” To the reader, this is clearly a lie, as we have heart the real reason Robert was turned away, and that Lady Audley clearly felt that no apology was needed. And although Lady Audley lied to Robert, she did it with her usual, “peculiar childish vivacity, which seemed so natural to her.” In this excerpt, Robert Audley shows the small amount of knowledge he has that she has malevolent intentions. By saying that it might have been better if he had never come into the house, Robert begins to bring up the idea that there is something dangerous about being inside it. After he says this, Lady Audley looks “with an earnest, questioning gaze,” that Robert fully understands. Although she looks up at him seemingly in earnest, what Robert understands is that this is all for show. He tells her not to be alarmed, as she shouldn’t expect any “nonsense,” or “silly infatuation” from him. He tells her that he will not have to borrow womanly tactics from the writing of Dumas, and the “fils” in them. This is Robert telling Lady Audley that he will not be pretending to be ignorant, or that he will not the true meanings of his words with anything “borrowed.” This passage shows the reader that Lady Audley is constantly retaining her façade around everyone, but that Robert Audley is challenging it.

 

“Oh yes, you will though,” answered Luke, with quiet insolence, that had a hidden meaning. “You’ll make it a hundred, my lady.” Lady Audley rose from her seat, looked at the man steadfastly in the face till his determined gaze sank under hers; then walking straight up to her maid, she said in a high, piercing voice, “Phoebe Marks, you have told this man!” (Braddon 113)

From the first appearance of Lady Audley, I have questioned her motives towards the Audley household. Obviously, we all question if she is who she says she is, along with guessing the meaning of the ring and strands of hair she keeps with her. But what else she could she be hiding, and what caused her to share such secrets with Phoebe?

Lady Audley had presumed that what she was doing was a good deed by offering Luke money to drop the presumed marriage between him and Phoebe. She did not expect that he would be aware of her secret, or that Phoebe would go behind her back to tell him. The overall conflict had Luke demand more money and silently hinted at blackmail. The big question to be taken from this is, what is Lady Audley’s secret?. Is it so bad that it would allow someone to extort her for money?

The passage reverts back to the main questions we have all had about the novel so far. What is Lady Audley hiding? This passage only deepens curiosity about what she may be hiding. When Lady Audley confronted Phoebe about why she told, all phoebe had to say was, “He forced it from me, or I would never, never have told!” How Luke even knew the secret was questionable. Phoebe telling him possibly out of her own will may be an abstract thought, but may just be possible as there are some inconsistencies within the story.

Overall, I see this short text as another form of drama arising due to Lady Audley who seems to be inciting it with her sketchy past and questionable motives towards her choices of becoming Lady Audley.

“Foul deeds have been done under the most hospitable roofs, terrible crimes have been committed amid the fairest scenes, and have left no trace upon the spot where they were done. I do not believe in mandrake or in blood-stains that no time can efface. I believe rather that we may walk unconsciously in an atmosphere of crime, and breathe none the less freely. I believe that we may look into the smiling face of a murder, and admire its tranquil beauty.”

 

I’d like to draw attention to the fact that in the book, there’s an ongoing theme of facades and of harmless, even positive and pleasurable things, concealing dark secrets, even if said dark secret is only ever hinted at within the work (as of yet). Lady Audley is–we know full well, both from the way the world reacts to her (as outlined in my classmates’ blog posts) and from other evidence in the story–the primary example of a beautiful façade versus a dark and underlying truth. We know nothing about her; she shows up out of the blue; dogs are frightened of her; and there are other hints.

 

There are also some fairly obvious inferences that can be made (Braddon is not adept at hiding her mysteries–but maybe that’s a topic for another post) that as of the end of volume 1 have not been laid out clearly for to the reader. So even though it’s not been stated outright, we know that Lady Audley is almost certainly George Talboys’ “deceased” wife.

 

I believe Robert is wrong about this. Robert thinks that any number of atrocities can be committed in a place, by a person, involving an object–and there could be no trace. But maybe he doesn’t want to see those traces. In the case of Lady Audley, there IS a trace. There are several traces that Robert has only begun to see.

 

Indeed, it is very possible that Robert has done what he has described many times–he has looked into the smiling face of someone who may very well be a murderer.

 

“Lady Audley happened to enter the room at this very moment, and the animal cowered down by the side of his mistress with a suppressed growl. There was something in the manner of the dog which was, if anything, more indicative of terror than of fury, incredible as it appears that Caesar should be frightened of so fragile a creature as Lucy Audley” (Braddon, 107).

 

This passage continues to reveal that Lady Audley’s true personality might not be the one she outwardly portrays to others.  The words, “cowered,” “terror,” and “frightened” (Braddon, 107) are all used to contrast and question the reaction of Alicia’s Newfoundland, Caesar, with Lady Audley’s “fragile” (Braddon, 107) persona. This juxtaposition of the aura Lady Audley gives off and the appearance she wishes to convey to others, raises questions of whether or not Lady Audley is genuine in her being. Lady Audley was previously described as having “the innocence and candour of an infant” (Braddon, 55) which makes  it strange that an animal should be fearful of a person as “fragile a creature as Lucy Audley” (Braddon, 107). The binary of sincerity vs. façade is once again brought up. This passage further reveals that Lady Audley is not as innocent as she wants people to believe. Caesar is “terror[ified]” when she enters the room after previously “roll[ing] his eyes” (Braddon, 107) and appearing calm. It was only after Lady Audley’s entrance that his personality changed. It is unknown what specifically sparks the change in the dog, but the reader can infer that the presence of Lady Audley has caused a disturbance. Dogs are often said to be a good judge of character, which makes the reader even more skeptical of this scenario. In the next chapter, Robert Audley also mentions “a change!” (Braddon, 121) that Lady Audley has brought about. As the novel progresses, readers continue to see the responses of and to Lady Audley that seem odd and out of place. This adds to the question of who Lady Audley actually is and what is her secret?

“The likeness which the lady’s-maid bore to Lucy Audley was, perhaps, a point of sympathy between the two women. It was not to be called a striking likeness; a stranger might have seen them both together, and yet have failed to remark it. But there were certain dim and shadowy lights in which, meeting Phœbe Marks gliding softly through the dark oak passages of the Court, or under the shrouded avenues in the garden, you might have easily mistaken her for my lady.” (Braddon 108)

Lady Audley and Phoebe bare slight resemblance to each other and can be mistaken for one another in the dark.  Both blonde women come from similar financial backgrounds, but one is now higher in society than the other.  Phoebe is more than just Lady Audley’s maid; Phoebe is Lady Audley’s go-to for gossiping, reading and discussing books, and completing the Lady’s mysterious tasks.  The association of dimmed lighting, shadows, and darkness with Lady Audley and Phoebe’s relationship infers the type of mysterious relationship the two share.

 

I believe that sometimes Phoebe may pretend to be Lady Audley in the dark hours while Lady Audley is away doing other things.  Lady Audley asks Phoebe, “Do you know, Phoebe, I have heard some people say you and I look alike?” (Braddon 60).  Lady Audley claims Phoebe to be a paler, less colorful version of herself and that with a “pot of rogue,” Phoebe could “be as good-looking” as Lady Audley “any day” (Braddon 60).  During the day, Lady Audley is colorful; but, in the night, dark and pale imagery describes Lady Audley’s face and surroundings.  Sir Michael recalls looking at Lucy the previous night and seeing her “poor white face and the purple rims round your (Lady Audley’s) hollow eyes.  I (Sir Michael) has almost a difficult to recognize my little wife in that ghastly, terrified agonised-looking creature” (Braddon 78).  With following day, the sun returned Lucy’s “rosy cheeks and bright smile” (Braddon 78).  Does nighttime turn Lady Audley into a ghostly figure or is it possible that it was Phoebe in Lady Audley’s bed?

 

Language within this passage displays the deceit that lives in “the two women(‘s)” relationship (Braddon 108).  The illusion to dark imagery using phrases such as “dim and shadowy,” “shrouded avenues,” “dark oak passages,” and “mistaken” reveal the evil, fear, and mystery that lies within Lady Audley and Phoebe’s relationship (Braddon 108-09).  Lady Audley’s interest in retaining a relationship with her ghostly twin rests within the mischievous events that have happened at Audley Court.

Throughout the novel, Lady Audley is seen as the pinnacle of ideal Victorian womanhood. She is conventionally attractive, charming, and fragile. When she goes to visit Robert in the Castle Inn she says to him,”…but my dear, silly husband must needs take it into his foolish head that it is dangerous for his poor, little wife’s peace of mind to have a nephew of eight or nine-and-twenty smoking his cigars in her boudoir…(Braddon 141)” Here Lady Audley attempts to cocoon herself in fragility and innocence. She describes herself as a “poor, little” wife and her syntax is immature. Through the perception of her in the eyes of others, Lady Audley is able to hide her true motives behind her femininity. In this instance, her act does not fool Robert, and her infantile facade if broken. Before this point, Lady Audley’s innocent front was almost a weapon to what she wanted. She wooed and continues to manipulate her wealthy husband with her feminine, naive guise to get want she wanted. In a society where women have little aspiration to strive for, it is quite admirable that she used what was presented to her and runs with it.  It will be interesting to see how Lady Audley’s weapon of femininity both benefits and betrays her. I believe that this novel tries to, as best it can in Victorian culture, send a message of the power of femininity through Lady Audley’s manipulation of it.

““No more dependence, no more drudgery, no more humiliations,” she said; “every trace of the old life melted away – every clue to identity buried and forgotten — except these, except these”” (Braddon 17).

I found this sentence most strange because it shows Lucy’s main motive for marrying Sir Michael is not out of love or to be rich, but rather to escape her “old life.” Escaping from something and erasing it implies that it has a negative association. However, it then opens up the questions of, what is Lucy escaping from? Why does she want her “old life melted away?” It’s also interesting that these are her thoughts contemplating if she should marry Sir Michael or not because they’re all aimed towards finding safety in a sheltered nest. Since Lucy uses words such as, “every trace” and “every clue” it is apparent that she has something to hide from her “old life.” Therefore, it seems as if Lucy wants to find safety from her secret past. By marrying Sir Michael she would find safety from whatever she is running from or escaping by taking on his name. Therefore she would have a new literal identity. Lucy Graham would become Lady Audley. Lucy even stated that herself as a reason to marry Sir Michael—“identity buried and forgotten.” She then goes on to say, “except these, except these.” Which brings up the question of what is she talking about? What are these things? Why are they so important to keep if they could risk her identity and secret?

This sentence is related to the whole of the novel so far in that the words “every trace” “every clue” and “identity buried and forgotten” suggest that there is something suspicious about Lucy’s behavior. Her exterior is seen as “lovely and innocent” (Braddon 13) whereas her interior, which is expressed in this sentence, is more complex and dishonest.

“At the end of this avenue there was an old arch and a clock-tower, with a stupid, bewildering clock, which had only one hand; and which jumped straight from one hour to the next, and was therefore always in extremes. Through this arch you walked straight into the gardens of Audley Court” (7).

 

The description of the broken clock is interesting because it seems to indicate that Audley Court is a world where time is broken, and does not exist in a linear manner, as indicated by the clock always being in “extremes.” Out of all the Audleys, Lucy best demonstrates the notion of “broken time.” Her past is largely unknown to the reader, and even the narrator notes that no one knows her age exactly. She is constantly referred to as “childish,” and exhibits childlike qualities. Braddon hints that Lucy may be Helen in her description of “extreme” time at Audley Court. In Audley Court, Lucy is youthful and childlike, but to the world, where time is not in extremes, perhaps she is “dead,” as Helen is.  

The time also distances the residents of Audley Court from the outside world. Time is a humanly concept that governs life. However Audley Court does not possess time in its usual manner. Perhaps this is why Lady Audley comes here to distance herself from her past.

The clock introduces the reader to Audley Court, in that it is directly above the entrance. It is broken and strange much like the Court itself. At first glance Audley Court seems normal, but because of the clock the reader knows that there is something off and that there is something more “extreme” than what is visible to the eye. Since Lucy is the Lady of the Court, the oddity and depth of it is a reflection of her too, and the reader realizes that there is more to her character than the innocent one being portrayed and in light of “extremes” maybe Lucy is more sinister than she appears.

“She laughed aloud at his question. ‘I do not love any one in the world,’ she answered.”  (Braddon 17)

 

In this quote, from chapter one of Braddon’s Lady Audley’s Secret, Lucy Graham is replying in quite a peculiar way to Sir Michael’s question as to whom else she loves.  There are two parts that I find most intriguing in this quote.  The first is Lucy’s laugh that comes prior her reply.  When I imagine Lucy laughing, I hear it as more of a sarcastic laugh, as if she can hardly believe Sir Michael had even asked her such a question.  From the lines following this quote, it seems as though he hears this tone in the laugh as well.  The author could be using this as a helpful hint to the reader that Lucy is hiding something.  It is especially strange because one would typically not laugh about loving no one.  Michael is pleased by her answer, yet I believe this is where he first notices that there is something strange about the girl he admires.

The second part of this quote which caught my attention is in Lucy’s response where she claims to “not love any one in the world”.  I thought it was interesting how the author decided to use the spelling “any one” rather than “anyone”.  This tells me that Lucy is referring to any one person instead of just any person which could mean that Lucy has a specific person in mind who she had once loved but does no longer. I also believe there is some meaning behind her addition of “in the world”.  This small phrase places more emphasis on her response and makes me wonder if maybe Lucy is referring to not the actual world but a new world she is now living in.