
A quiet, amber‑lit study in a grand Mayfair mansion sets the stage for a meeting that feels both intimate and charged with old family tensions. The room, heavy with gilt and the faint glow of a steady fire, holds an elderly nobleman whose refined yet unsettling demeanor hints at secrets long buried beneath his polished exterior. Across from him, the newly returned Colonel Wilton arrives—handsome, seasoned by war, and carrying the weight of his own modest ambitions.
Their conversation, tinged with polite sarcasm and veiled recollections, reveals a tangled web of rivalry between cousins who have never truly been allies. As they exchange stories of past skirmishes and hinted grudges, the listener can sense the undercurrent of unresolved conflict that will shape the days to come. The opening balances atmospheric detail with sharp character study, inviting you into a world where honor, inheritance, and lingering enmities intertwine.
Language
en
Duration
~5 hours (322K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Suzanne Shell, Martin Pettit and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Release date
2012-12-30
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1825–1902
An Irish-born novelist writing as Mrs. Alexander, she became known for popular Victorian fiction filled with domestic drama, moral choices, and sharply observed social life. Her books found a wide readership in Britain and beyond.
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