Kissing the Rod: A Novel. (Vol. 3 of 3)

Robert Streightley is a man pressed by duty and dread. On a single, relentless day he juggles the affairs of a dead father‑in‑law, frantic business in the City, and the unsettling silence left by his wife Katharine’s sudden departure. A terse letter from her arrives just as he is forced to represent the deceased, compounding the weight of his obligations and the mystery surrounding her absence.

Locked away in his study, Robert finally confronts the correspondence that could unravel his life. The enclosed note, marked “Shown to R.S.”, reveals a hidden scheme that implicates him in a betrayal he never imagined committing. As the truth sinks in, he is left to wrestle with guilt, the fragile veneer of his marriage, and the stark realization that his own choices may have sealed his downfall.