The Best House in London

In Victorian London, Sir Francis Leybourne is a powerful aristocrat, city councillor, land baron, and businessman. He keeps a mistress, Babette, who is also sleeping with his estranged son Walter. Babette and Walter scheme to secure Walter's place in the will as the primary beneficiary, stirring tension behind Sir Francis's back.

A minister asks Sir Francis to head the pilot project for London's first bordello. The aim is to understand the role of prostitutes in aristocratic society while moving them off the streets. The bordello is to be modeled on the French approach.

Josephine Pacefoot, Sir Francis's orphaned niece, leads the League of Social Purity, a reformist group that trains streetwalkers to exit prostitution. She teams up with Benjamin Oakes, a freelance publicist who is currently hired to publicize the work of Italian Count Pandolfo and his dirigible project. The collaboration brings a crosscurrent of reform and publicity to the social scene of London.

Benjamin Oakes's publicist work centers on Count Pandolfo's dirigible, but he also agrees to help publicize Josephine's reform efforts. He becomes a bridge between reform and publicity, weaving their causes together. This alliance marks the start of a public-facing campaign in London.

Walter, aided by Babette, schemes to rewrite Sir Francis's will so that Walter becomes the primary beneficiary. They set their sights on Belgravia Hall and on operating the bordello as planned. The scheme foreshadows a clash between family interest and the reform project.

Sir Francis unexpectedly dies while on a business trip to India. He leaves his entire estate to his niece Josephine Pacefoot, including Belgravia Hall. He also instructs that Babette handle the bordello's setup during his absence.

Following Sir Francis's death, Babette moves to set up the bordello at Belgravia Hall as his designated executor of the plan. She begins arranging the property and staff to transform the house into the bordello. This places her at odds with Josephine, who inherited the estate.

Josephine inherits the estate and intends to use Belgravia Hall for the League of Social Purity. Walter and Babette, however, press their claim and attempt to seize the property from Josephine to run the bordello. A power struggle ensues over the fate of the house.

Walter and Babette press their claim using whatever means necessary to take Belgravia Hall from Josephine. Josephine remains unaware of Sir Francis's secret plan for the house. The conflict over the property becomes a central tension in the story.

During their collaboration, Benjamin Oakes reveals that he is a bastard, his mother was a servant who never disclosed his father. The birthmark on his wrist is the only clue to his paternal identity. This confession adds a personal dimension to the political drama surrounding the estate.

Benjamin's publicity work also promotes Count Pandolfo's dirigible project. The airship provides a modern, spectacular contrast to the reformist agenda. The dirigible backdrop intertwines with the capital's social intrigues.

The usages of Belgravia Hall become the focal point of a clash between Josephine's reformist stance and Walter/Babette's profit-driven bordello plan. The battle over control of the house highlights the tension between social reform and exploitation. The outcome remains unresolved, setting the stage for ongoing conflict.