Phroso: A Romance

A young English gentleman, freshly enriched by his cousin’s modest estate, decides that the only sensible use of his new fortune is to purchase a far‑off island he has long imagined as a private retreat. The remote speck of Neopalia, a rugged patch of land with cotton, wine and a handful of unsophisticated but good‑hearted inhabitants, promises both profit and escape. Legalities and a hefty tribute to the Turkish government loom, yet the prospect of owning an exotic domain outweighs the practicalities of steamship routes and delayed correspondence.

While his friends scoff at the idea and his fiancée, Beatrice, dismisses any charm in a “horrid little island,” the engagement is postponed, giving him time to settle the purchase and plot his future there. A family gathering and a chance encounter with a solicitor set the stage for his departure, hinting at the challenges of restoring the crumbling manor and navigating the island’s quirky populace. The story unfolds as he wrestles with ambition, romance, and the unexpected responsibilities of lordship over a distant shore.