Tuula Temonen and Tapio Riikonen Tuula Temonen and Tapio Riikonen
"Ikionnelliset" by Ida Boy-Ed is a novel written in the late 19th century. Set amid military maneuvers near Lübeck, it moves in aristocratic circles around Countess Allmer, her impulsive daughter Beatrix, and her son Botho, whose secret bond with the worldly Baroness Pantin strains against family expectations. When Dorothea von Allmer’s disgraced, ailing sister arrives to place her daughter Konstanze under their protection, themes of compassion, class, and propriety sharpen. The result promises a social drama of desire versus duty, charity, and reputation.
The opening of the story shows officers encamped on stubble fields as the Allmer family visits: Beatrix flirts with the amiable Lieutenant von Schmettau, talk of quartering and impromptu dances swirls, and gossip centers on the elusive Baroness Pantin. Botho slips away to meet the baroness in secret and urges her to present herself at his mother’s estate, then masks the encounter when questioned. That same night, Dorothea’s long-estranged sister, now widowed and gravely ill, arrives with her daughter Konstanze to beg a safe home for the girl; Dorothea is stiff and accusatory, but the countess decides to take Konstanze in. The next morning Beatrix welcomes her new “sister,” while the household hastens to prepare rooms for incoming officers and to send the mother south with a companion. As plans for hospitality and a dance gather pace, Baroness Pantin herself calls at the estate, and Dorothea and Beatrix go to receive her. (This is an automatically generated summary.)