That Unfortunate Marriage, Vol. 1

Augustus Cheffington’s life is a study in how a single, ill‑advised marriage can shape a man’s destiny. Once a hopeful cornet in a cavalry regiment, his impulsive elopement with Susan Dobbs earns him the endless lament of his aristocratic relatives, who attribute his stalled career and subsequent misfortunes to that “unfortunate marriage.” As the years pass, Augustus drifts from the regiment’s bright uniforms to a series of ill‑chosen ventures on the Continent, squandering his fortune and drawing the scorn of those who once championed his name.

Back in England, he seeks a respectable post befitting his lineage, only to encounter a cold, indifferent government and a circle of kin who regard him with pity rather than support. Disenchanted by the stale aristocratic circles and the bitter taste of their hospitality, he abandons the country once more, returning to the lively cafés and boulevards of the Continent. Before leaving, he entrusts his young daughter, Miranda, to a Brighton school, hoping her education might offset the social stigma of her mother’s humble origins.