All Passion Spent

his threepart miniseries begins with elderly Lady Slane Wendy Hiller sitting watchfully by the deathbed of her husband Tended by her equally aged French maid Genoux Eileen Way who has served her faithfully for a lifetime Lady Slane deals with a succession of advice from her large flock of middleaged children The family is chagrined by but honors her choice to live a modest country retirement at some distance in Hampstead Heath Lady Slane competently comes to terms to lease and restore a crumbling house aided by an aging land agent Gervase Bucktrout Maurice Denham Once settled an acquaintance from 50 years past Mr Fitzgeorge Harry Andrews visits the cottage to rekindle memories of their brief deep but unfulfilled brush as soulmates in colonial India when Lady Slane was a devoted young wife and mother Greatgranddaughter Deborah Jane Snowden who has been trapped by a socially desirable but passionless engagement regularly visits to confide and seek wisdom