THE DREAMING DAMOZEL

Things aren't too cheerful or prosperous at Bell House, the Abbotsburne home of the Chelmarshes — part-time pastor Rodney and his delicate, antique dealer wife Doran (Malice Domestic, etc.), who's depressed in the wake of a miscarriage and by ex-partner Howell's move to a lucrative London job. Doran's purchase of a painting in the style of Dante Gabriel Rossetti; a call from a magnetic stranger with a drawing, possibly by Rossetti, to sell; and the discovery, in the Abbotsburne area, of two unidentified bodies, in pre-Raphaelite garb and makeup contribute to Doran's uneasiness—until a mysterious gift leads to a reckless rendevouz that finally dispels her vapors and repairs the tattered family fortunes. A murky, contrived plot: Rodney's esoteric literary rambles and a heap of Rossetti-love add up to qualified joy for Hardwick fans, qualifed ennui for others.