The governor's lady - Norman Collins

The setting: an off-the map British Colony in Central Africa.

The period: early 1930's.

The characters: young Harrold Stebbs, bachelor, newly appointed to the Governor's secretariat in Amimbo; the Governor, Sir Gardnor Hackforth, already something of a Proconsular legend in the Service; and tipped by The Times for the next Viceroyship; Mr. Frith, the passed-over Acting Chief Secretary, a rather too familiar figure at the bar in the Milner Club; Tony Henley, the A.D.C., who has ultimately to be disowned; Old Moses, the trusted Mimbo builder and key figure in the Residency; the socially irresistible Mr. Ngono; Mr. Talefwa, left-wing editor of the African Independence newspaper, War Drum; and Mr. Das, itinerant legal Council called in by the Defence.

Then there is the Governor's Lady herself; twenty years younger than Sir Gardnor; somewhat withdrawn from Government life because of an incident that occurred before Harold Stebbs arrived; and already the subject of gossip in European, African and Asian circles alike. There is also Lady Anne's lady-in-waiting, Sybil Prosser, who has her own reasons for discretion.

The story: Book 1 covers the meeting of Harold and Lady Anne, the preparations for the Governor's safari and the attempts by Lady Anne to prevent Harold from going. Book 2 describes the near tragedy of violent death in camp.. The capital charge, the trial and the eventual unanimous verdict form the subject of Book III. But it is the aftermath of the trial revealed in Book 3 which is more important. Was it assassination or merely domestic murder? Did the truth lie on Sir Gardnor's side or on Lady Anne's? Were Mr. Das's allegations in Court justifiable? Should Harold Stebbs under cross-examination have made his last reply? And above all, was his final decision the right one?

For a dispassionate view of the characters, their motives and their actions, see the Chief Magistrate's summing up in Epilogue Part 2.