The Purchase Price; Or, The Cause of Compromise

In a bustling river dock, a proud young Countess St. Auban confronts her captor, Captain Carlisle, a soldier bound by orders. Their exchange crackles with wit and tension as she negotiates a fleeting parole while he wrestles with the weight of duty. The scene sets a vivid stage of early‑twentieth‑century America, where steamships hiss and political intrigue lurks beneath polite conversation.

The novel follows these two strong‑willed characters as they navigate a fragile alliance. The Countess, sharp‑tongued and fiercely independent, seeks a chance at freedom, while the captain is torn between obedience to his superiors and his own sense of justice. Their dialogue hints at a larger cause—perhaps a hidden rebellion or a secret mission—that will test loyalties and force both to reconsider what compromise truly means.