The White Riband; Or, A Young Female's Folly

In a tightly knit English duchy, the scandal of a fifteen‑year‑old country girl spreads like wildfire through drawing‑rooms and market stalls alike. Loveday, a modest farmhand, becomes the talk of the town after she seizes a coveted white ribbon—an act that some deem a harmless whim, while others see it as a dangerous breach of class and propriety. As gossip swirls, the story introduces a sharp‑tongued gentleman, Mr. Constantine, and the proud heiress Miss Flora Le Pettit, whose debate over passion, virtue, and ambition frames the moral heart of the tale.

Through witty dialogue and vivid social portraiture, the novel explores how a single, seemingly trivial transgression can expose the fragile boundaries between gender, status, and desire. Listeners will be drawn into the bustling parlors, the rust‑red countryside, and the inner lives of characters who wrestle with the consequences of daring to reach beyond their station. The first act sets the stage for a compelling examination of youthful folly and the ripples it creates in a world bound by tradition.