The real Duchess who inspired Downton Abbey's Lady Grantham, Consuelo Vanderbilt was young, beautiful, and heir to a vast fortune. She was also in love with an American suitor when her mother chose instead for her to marry an English Duke. She sailed to England as the Duchess of Marlborough in 1895 and took up residence in her new home-Blenheim Palace. Here is her actual memoir, originally published in 1953. A fascinating glimpse into the privileged lives of the Gilded Age. Hardcover, 304 pages.