
Chapter One. - Unknown Cousins.
Chapter Two. - Stephen’s confession.
Chapter Three. - A Family Conclave.
Chapter Four. - The Removal.
Chapter Five. - First Impressions.
Chapter Six. - Hope’s First Venture.
Chapter Seven. - A Private Reading.
Chapter Eight. - Visitors Arrive.
Chapter Nine. - An Anonymous Letter.
Chapter Ten. - The Shanty.
A modest country manor becomes the unexpected focal point for a tangled family drama when news arrives that the brilliant but unfocused Edgar Charrington has died, leaving behind a bewildering number of children. The Loftus couple, accustomed to quiet propriety, are thrust into a moral dilemma as they grapple with their own regrets and the practicalities of caring for a brood they scarcely know. Their conversations reveal a sharp portrait of Victorian social expectations, mixed with hints of hidden talents and unspoken resentments that have long simmered beneath the surface.
As the surviving relatives contemplate their obligations, the story gently unfolds the contrasting lives of the Charrington offspring—one a striking, self‑possessed girl, the other a more ordinary boy—while the adult characters wrestle with pride, compassion, and the looming question of what responsibility truly means. Listeners are invited into a world where personal ambition collides with family duty, setting the stage for choices that could reshape the fortunes of all involved.
Language
en
Duration
~7 hours (412K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England
Release date
2010-06-20
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1857–1917
A prolific English storyteller for girls and young women, she filled her novels with school life, family tangles, and spirited heroines finding their way. Writing under her married name, she became a familiar voice in popular fiction of the late Victorian and Edwardian years.
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