"Mrs. Essington: The Romance of a House-party" by Esther and Lucia Chamberlain is a novel written in the early 20th century. The storyline revolves around the experiences of Mrs. Florence Essington and the social dynamics at a house party hosted by Mrs. Budd. The potential romantic tensions between various characters, including Florence and Fox Longacre, are central to the plot. At the start of the novel, readers are introduced to Florence Essington and Fox Longacre, who are traveling to a house party being thrown by Mrs. Budd. They engage in light conversation that hints at their past relationship and the mystery surrounding another character, Julia Budd, who is expected at the gathering. The scene is set with an exploration of their thoughts and feelings, revealing not just their anticipation for the event, but also the undercurrents of attraction and social pressure that will play out in the interactions at the house party. The opening effectively establishes the characters' complexities and sets the tone for the unfolding social drama. (This is an automatically generated summary.)