
Lady Caroline Beaufort’s life begins as a study in duty and disappointment. Arranged into a marriage with a brutish, newly‑rich gentleman, she endures a union that feels more a transaction than a partnership, a choice dictated by her parents’ belief in wealth over affection. When her husband’s sudden death unexpectedly frees her, she inherits a comfortable fortune and the guardianship of her young son, yet the relief is tangled with guilt and a lingering sense of unease.
Now, with her future no longer bound by financial necessity, Caroline confronts the possibility of a different path. She encounters a familiar face from her past—a man once dismissed when her family’s fortunes rose—offering a glimpse of the love she was denied. As she navigates the delicate balance between societal expectations and personal desire, the story explores the complexities of freedom, responsibility, and the hope of a second chance at happiness.
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (285K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images available at The Internet Archive)
Release date
2018-12-12
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1828–1897
A hugely popular Victorian novelist and critic, she wrote with remarkable range and speed, turning out fiction, essays, biographies, and supernatural tales across a long career. Her work often brings everyday family life into vivid focus while also making room for mystery, history, and sharp social observation.
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