Crown Derby

The rhythm of the Triple Crown — Derby first Saturday in May, Preakness two weeks later, Belmont Stakes three weeks after that — is made to seem like a magical tradition when, really, fear of change is what keeps it the same.

Crown Derby, the beds, the dogs, the fleas on the dogs, the lot.

These include the Christmastime ghost story “The Crown Derby Plate,” the gruesome “Scoured Silk” and a breathtakingly sexy and chilling novella, “Julia Roseingrave,” which opens with the Devil knocking on the door of a lonely country house and requesting a room for the night.

Royal Crown Derby has a series of designs in the works, like a heart-shaped tray for 75 pounds and a 150 pound octagonal plate finished in gold.

Royal Crown Derby, a porcelain manufacturer, has been making commemorative products since the coronation of King George III in 1760.