The Great Miss Driver

The story opens in the bustling county of Catsford, where the ambitious Nicholas Driver has built a modest empire from a humble tannery. Through shrewd purchases of land and villas, and an early grasp of the coming railway, he steadily drives his wedge into the region’s social fabric, buying farms, manor houses, and the picturesque Hatcham Ford. His rise is narrated by the long‑serving solicitor Cartmell, who offers a mix of business detail and local gossip, setting the stage for a world where wealth and power reshape old hierarchies.

Amid this expansion, the narrator learns of a mysterious figure—the Great Miss Driver, a young woman whose portrait hangs on the mantelpiece at Hatcham Ford. She is spoken of in whispers, described as both a symbol of the family’s newfound prestige and a source of intrigue for those who know her. Drawn by curiosity, the narrator begins to investigate the girl who has never before entered his conversation, hinting at romances, rivalries, and secrets that could alter the delicate balance of power.