HEIRESS: The Rich Life of Marjorie Merriweather Post

And rich it was, too. Four marriages, ranging from mildly unsatisfying to downright terrible, three daughters (among them Dina Merrill) and untold houses, lavish cars, yachts, planes, and servants later, the Posture heiress was reduced to a few months of violent senility at the end. She used to kick at her granddaughter Marwee then, though she loved her, and was once found perched on top of a kitchen table at Mar-A-Lago, her vast Palm Beach estate. Prior to that, however, she gulped down life the way other people gulped the family brand. She married a lawyer who became Ambassador to Russia, and she used her stay there to collect a boggling array of FabergÉ and other Russian art. She entertained more lavishly than anyone else in the history of this country, Wright maintains (a memo to guests noted: ""If you are planning to wear a floral tiara to the ball, let us know without delay so that one can be ordered for you""). She never tired of falling in love, and had to be dissuaded from remarrying for the fifth time at the age of 82. She seems, from this sprightly account, to have enjoyed most of her life and her staggering wealth thoroughly. So, it's passing fun to read about her.