The book is extremely well written and researched by Catherine Bailey, who read history at Oxford University, and is an award-winning television producer and director of documentary films.
Bailey, was given permission to write about the life of employees of Belvoir Castle , home of the Manner's family, and seat of the Dukes of Rutland. The castle's name means beautiful view, (pronounced bee-var by Norman invaders, but called Beaver by Anglo-Saxons). It was granted to Robert, 1st baron de Roos in 1257. When that family died out in 1508, the castle passed to George Manners, who inherited both castle and barony through his mother. His son was created Earl of Rutland in 1525. A John Manners was created Duke of Rutland in 1703, and Belvoir has remained home to the Manners family for 500 years, and seat of the Dukes of Rutland for over 3 centuries.
Bailey's gift for suspense in writing an otherwise dry historical record, begins when she encounters an employee who tells her about the five secret rooms. That's when she learns that John, the 9th Duke of Rutland had died in one of them. The fact that no one knew why he had chosen to spend his dying days there, alone, was a mystery not likely to be solved. Her discovery of 3 comprehensive gaps in family records, each occurring at different points of time was another mystery and unknown by the family.
Curious to find out why the correspondence was absent during these periods, the meticulous cross referencing of letters from friends, official records, castle household records and dates of events read like fiction. As one after another elusive clue was found, one mystery would be solved, only to create another.
Secret Rooms is a story full of intrigue, destroyed records and documents, plots thick with deceit, betrayed honor and ancient curses, hypocrisy, eccentricity and cowardly connivance of a decadent aristocracy reading like fiction, but is a shocking, although an enthralling tale of grief, pride and shame.
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| 'The Secret Rooms' Catherine Bailey |
