Far above rubies (Vol. 2 of 3) : A novel

In a genteel English country house, the sharp‑tongued Miss Hope finds herself sparring with the slick promoter Mr. Black over the safest way to grow a modest fortune. Their breakfast‑room duel, peppered with references to claret, chocolate and the latest investment schemes, reveals a world where social standing and financial acumen are tightly entwined. As Miss Hope probes Black’s dubious prospects, the conversation drifts from harmless “three per cent” bonds to whispered rumors of canal shares that have left many investors burned.

Meanwhile, the wider household—Heather, Arthur, and the ever‑watchful Mrs. Ormson—circles the same tension, each character balancing personal desire against the pull of profit. The novel captures the witty, often biting, interplay of Victorian society, where a seemingly innocent chat over fruit can expose deeper anxieties about security, ambition, and the price of a respectable reputation.