Wendy: How long did it take you to research the story?

Louisa: Researching The Dragon Lady took a year and a bit, and was a hugely enjoyable adventure. My starting point was ‘An Oral History of the Courtaulds at Eltham Palace’ in the British Library: hours and hours of audio tapes in which people who knew Stephen and Virginia Courtauld share their recollections of them – from family members to their chauffeur’s daughter. Each account was like a piece in a mosaic and I gradually began to assemble a picture.  A highlight of my research was a trip to Zimbabwe. I stayed at the Courtaulds’ home, La Rochelle – now owned by the National Trust of Zimbabwe and run as a hotel. I was lucky enough to sleep in Virginia’s bedroom, which made me feel close to her living breathing presence. I also spent time at Eltham Palace, in the archives and walking around, soaking up the atmosphere. Another highlight was meeting Stephen’s cousin, George Courtauld, who shared his memories of Stephen and Virginia with me. As a child, he used to beg Virginia to show him her party trick: ‘Make your snake dance, Aunt Ginie! Make your snake dance!’ And she would flex her muscles and the snake would wriggle up her leg. That’s such a vivid and unforgettable image, isn’t it?

Wendy: How did you feel towards the Courtaulds while writing the book?

Louisa: I was pretty well hooked on Virginia straight away because she was a woman who refused to live by the rules in an era when females were expected to be submissive. Virginia exuded a delicious air of scandal, as epitomized by the snake tattoo running the length of her leg, with the truth of its origins never known due to her inclination to tell a different story every time she was asked about it. As well as being a boundary breaker, she was a woman ahead of her time. She had the courage to push for the social change she knew was necessary in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia), even though those views made her deeply unpopular with her peers. I felt a lot of admiration and empathy for her. Stephen was an interesting and complex man – I liked him very much, but it took me longer to access him, as he was more introverted than Virginia. He served with distinction in the First World War, winning the Military Cross. He never spoke about his experiences in the trenches, but it was clear that they had marked him deeply.