In two years' time, Vol. 1 (of 2)

In Short

This novel follows Kitty Chamberlayne, a spirited young woman who leaves her family’s Australian sheep station to return to England. While she navigates the bewildering opulence and social rigidities of her London relatives, she remains anchored by a clandestine promise to her sweetheart, Tom, left behind in the colony. Through a series of social trials and personal reflections, the book explores the tension between colonial identity and the pull of the "mother country," grounding its drama in the authentic, often humorous, cultural misunderstandings of the Victorian era.

The Story

The story opens at Narraporwidgee, an Australian sheep station, where the intense heat and the rhythm of rural labor frame the lives of the Chamberlayne family. Kitty, the daughter of a hardworking sheep farmer, is exuberant, impatient, and deeply attached to the rugged beauty of her surroundings. Her life is upended when her father, having finally decided his fortunes are stable enough, announces their return to England. This impending departure forces a crisis of identity and heart for Kitty, who realizes she is leaving behind her lover, Tom.

Tom and Kitty share a deeply ingrained, quiet understanding that exists beneath the notice of their respective families. On the eve of her departure, they find a moment of privacy to reconcile their grief. Tom, steady and pragmatic, pledges that exactly two years from his twenty-fourth birthday, he will meet her in England to claim her. They part with this solemn vow, leaving Kitty to face the long, uncertain interval.

Upon arriving in London, Kitty is thrust into the care of her wealthy, self-made uncle Goodeve and his social-climbing family. Her relatives are caricatures of Victorian ignorance regarding colonial life, expecting her to be unrefined or "uncivilized." Kitty, however, possesses a quiet dignity and natural grace that surprises and occasionally confounds them. While her mother indulges in extravagant shopping to polish Kitty’s appearance for high society, Kitty remains an outsider, observing the pretenses of her cousins and the patronizing attitudes of the London elite. She forms a sincere, intellectual friendship with Eleanor Armytage, a girl of deeper substance, while simultaneously enduring the scrutiny of high-society figures like Lord Westbrook.

As the months pass, the weight of the separation takes its toll. Kitty struggles with the hypocrisy of the social world around her and the constant, gnawing anxiety that her two-year wait may prove to be a lifetime. She clings to the promise of the future, using a diamond cross given to her by Tom’s mother as a silent, physical token of her engagement. The first volume concludes with Kitty navigating a high-stakes dinner party where, despite the surrounding luxury and the presence of aristocratic suitors, her thoughts are entirely occupied by the man she left on the other side of the world. She feels the growing divide between the girl who rode through the paddocks of Narraporwidgee and the young woman now performing her role in the drawing-rooms of England, yet her commitment to the vow remains the solitary, unshakeable truth of her life.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins The narrative establishes the stifling, sun-scorched atmosphere of the Australian station, where the rhythm of mail day and the anticipation of departure create a palpable tension. Kitty’s restlessness and her father’s struggle with the labor of farming set the stage for their move to England.

The secret vow In a quiet, moonlight meeting, Kitty and Tom solidify their bond, transcending the unspoken boundaries set by their parents. They exchange a promise of reunion in two years, a vow that serves as the psychological anchor for the rest of the narrative.

The clash of worlds Kitty arrives in London to be greeted by her uncle Goodeve, whose pride in his humble beginnings clashes with his desire to present his family as elite. The comedy and tension arise from her relatives’ absurd, stereotypical questions about colonial life, which Kitty handles with weary, polite detachment.

The social performance Kitty is introduced to the complexities of London society, including the arrival of Lord Westbrook. She successfully navigates these encounters, earning the grudging respect of her peers while internally rejecting the superficiality that governs their world.

The test of distance As Kitty settles into her life in England, her internal life is defined by her friendship with the idealistic Eleanor and her constant, silent longing for Tom. The volume ends with her feeling profoundly alienated from her social surroundings, waiting for the time to pass so she can fulfill her promise.

The People

Kitty Chamberlayne is the heart of the story, a young woman defined by her frankness and deep emotional intelligence. She is physically vibrant and fiercely loyal, struggling to reconcile her "colonial" upbringing with the polished, often hypocritical expectations of English society.

Tom is Kitty’s anchor, a steady and patient man who demonstrates his devotion through consistent support rather than grand gestures. He is the stabilizing force who believes in the future, providing the emotional security that allows Kitty to endure their separation.

Kitty’s mother is a woman of refinement and hidden depth, perhaps harboring her own secret history of exile. She is a practical, gentle authority figure who takes pride in ensuring Kitty is well-equipped for the social challenges of London, even if she does not fully understand her daughter’s private heart.

Uncle Goodeve represents the "self-made" man, whose wealth allows him to participate in a social ladder he simultaneously pretends to disdain. He is a source of both kindness and unintentional comedy, acting as the primary representative of the narrow, ill-informed English perspective on the colonies.

Eleanor Armytage serves as a vital counterpoint to the superficiality of Kitty’s cousins. She is a woman of conviction and earnestness, whose friendship with Kitty is based on a mutual refusal to participate in social pretense, allowing them to form a bond that is both rare and durable.

In Its Own Voice

“I wish I could, mother, but this lovely air is intoxicating,” I responded, tucking up my tail and dancing down upon the lawn and back again, with my hands stretched out.

(Kitty expresses her irrepressible spirit while navigating the verandah at the family sheep station.)

“On this day two years--the day I am twenty-six--I’ll meet you in England, wherever you are.”

(Tom makes the solemn promise that becomes the defining commitment of their long-distance relationship.)

“I don’t wonder that uncle and aunt Goodeve and my cousins were so astonished to see me behaving myself like a civilised being.”

(Kitty reflects on the absurd misconceptions her London relatives harbor regarding Australians.)

What It's Really About

The central argument of the book is the collision between authenticity and social performance. Through Kitty’s eyes, the author scrutinizes the "mother country" not as an ideal, but as a rigid, often ignorant society that prizes form over substance. The narrative questions what it means to be "civilized," suggesting that the real measure of a person lies in their capacity for loyal, private devotion rather than their adherence to metropolitan social codes. Furthermore, it examines the experience of exile, exploring how a sense of home is often tied more to people and emotional landscapes than to national identity. It is a quiet study of how one maintains a true self when the world demands you play a specific, predefined role.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate the slow, atmospheric character development found in Victorian literature will find this book particularly rewarding. It provides a rare, honest look at the nineteenth-century colonial experience, capturing the "homesickness" of the immigrant with a poignancy that remains relevant today. The writing is warm, tactile, and deeply observant; you can feel the dry heat of the Australian landscape and the damp chill of a London spring.

The book is not without its challenges. The pacing is deliberate, reflecting the long, drawn-out reality of travel and communication in the nineteenth century, and the reader must navigate the dated, sometimes patronizing class attitudes of the period. However, those willing to invest the time will be struck by the modernity of Kitty’s internal voice. She is not a shrinking violet; she is a woman who thinks for herself, questions the stifling rules of her society, and guards her inner life with fierce, quiet intelligence. You will remember the book for its sincerity—a rare quality in literature—and for the way it captures that universal, agonizing feeling of waiting for a life to truly begin. For anyone who has ever felt like an outsider in a place they are expected to call "home," this story will feel like a long, familiar conversation.