The danger signals of a wife going toxic are all too plain:

— She gives up work to care for the children and then sends them to boarding schools as soon as they outgrow their nannies.

— She demands wall-to-wall help with a maid hired to work up to 14 hours a day six days a week.

— Cooking and housework are strictly out of bounds.

— They have to live in a country mansion, forcing the husband to commute daily to London.