Her Table Spread by Elizabeth Bowen
"Her Table Spread" by Elizabeth Bowen is a short story set in an Irish castle during a lavish dinner party hosted by Valeria Cuffe, a 25-year-old heiress. The narrative centers around Mr. Alban, a potential suitor for Valeria, who initially feels confident about his chances of winning her affection. However, as the evening unfolds, he realizes that Valeria's interest lies elsewhere, specifically with the officers of a nearby destroyer, whom she hopes to attract. While Alban plays the piano during dinner, he becomes increasingly aware of his fading significance as Valeria becomes consumed with the prospect of these officers, particularly Mr. Garrett.
As the story progresses, Alban's emotional turmoil deepens, especially when he finds Valeria in distress, revealing her longing for Garrett. This interplay of desire and disappointment highlights the themes of romantic competition and the complexities of attraction in social settings. The tale culminates in the departure of the destroyer the following morning, leaving both Valeria and Alban to confront the realities of their desires. Bowen's story captures the nuances of relationships, expectations, and the pursuit of love within a specific cultural context.
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Her Table Spread by Elizabeth Bowen
First published: 1930
Type of plot: Psychological
Time of work: The early twentieth century
Locale: The coast of Ireland
Principal Characters:
Valeria Cuffe , an heiress and owner of the CastleMrs. Treye , her auntRobert Rossiter , Mrs. Treye's uncleMiss Carbin , a friend of Mrs. TreyeMr. Alban , a guest from London
The Story
"Her Table Spread" is the account of the events of one evening in an Irish castle. The title suggests the purpose of the lavish dinner party that has been staged by Valeria Cuffe, the young heiress who is also the owner of the Castle. She is twenty-five; it is time that she married. Mr. Alban is aware that he may be a likely candidate. What he discovers only gradually is that he is not the primary prospect for whom the Castle and Valeria are waiting.
As the story begins, the hostess and the guests come down to dinner. With the assurance of a guest of honor and a courted prospective husband, Alban observes the simple Valeria, to whom he is not particularly drawn. Alban's self-satisfaction diminishes, however, when he discovers that the ladies are hoping for a visit from the officers of a destroyer that is anchored in the estuary, perhaps the same destroyer whose officers, a Mr. Garrett and a Mr. Graves, visited at the Castle previously and were entertained at the Castle by friends living there during the absence of Valeria and her dependents.
After dinner, Alban's discontent increases. Although he plays the piano, he is ignored. Indeed, Valeria is not even present, but is racing about in the rain, careless of her satin evening dress, hoping to attract the officers, even if she must row out to their ship. Although she considered marrying Alban, she has now decided that her husband must be one of the officers; she assumes that the destroyer is the ship on which Garrett and Graves serve, and she tries to choose between them, remembering her friends' descriptions.
Fearing that Valeria will come for a boat, Robert Rossiter, an uncle of hers, and Alban guard the boathouse until Alban is frightened out by a bat. On his way back to the Castle, he hears sobbing in the darkness and realizes that it is Valeria. She is certain that it is Garrett, the tall young officer, and she calls joyfully, "Mr. Garrett has landed." Suddenly Alban is touched by emotion; he feels himself a man desired by women. The next morning the destroyer leaves.