Much Ado About Peter

At Willowbrook, the Carter family's sprawling estate, Peter Malone is head groom important enough to be noticed by the household, not important enough to escape being the target of children's pranks or the object of their peculiar mix of disdain and admiration. When a new maid arrives on the 5:15 train, Peter decides she's the one for him. But winning her heart means navigating the absurd hierarchies of service, outwitting his rival Billy, and surviving the endless schemes of the Carter children, who find Peter far more interesting than their own tutors. This is early 20th-century comedy of manners with a warm heart and sharp elbows. Webster, beloved for Daddy-Long-Legs, turns her gaze downward from the drawing room to the carriage house, finding plenty of material for humor and even a little social commentary along the way. The romance is earnest, the comedy is slapstick, and the class dynamics carry just enough bite to make it more than mere period charm.