Dead-sea fruit, Vol. 2 (of 3)

In the polished drawing rooms of late‑Victorian London, a young secretary named Eustake Thorburn spends his idle days alternating between scholarly pursuits and the whims of his elegant mistress, Mademoiselle de Bergerac. Their relationship, a blend of deference and intimacy, offers a window onto a world where poetry, philosophy and the subtle power plays of high society intermingle. When a stranger—Harold Jerningham, a charismatic landowner with a reputation for both stoic restraint and hidden indulgence—arrives from Berkshire, his striking presence unsettles the carefully ordered rhythm of their lives.

Jerningham’s arrival triggers a series of whispered rumors and restless ambitions, from a sudden broken engagement that leaves Miss St Albans in a precarious position to a daring rescue by the enigmatic Mr. Desmond. As the characters navigate desire, duty and the tantalising promise hinted at by the novel’s title, the first act sets a tone of elegant intrigue, promising listeners a richly drawn portrait of love, betrayal, and the silent hunger that drives each player forward.