
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER X
On a bright morning that glitters through lace‑trimmed curtains, Lauraine Douglas awakens to the reality of her own wedding day. The room is layered with delicate ornaments, fragrant orange blossoms, and the weight of a future she never imagined—marriage to the considerably older Sir Francis, a match forged more by family ambition than affection. As she surveys the polished surroundings, her thoughts drift to a long‑forgotten boy‑and‑girl romance with Keith, a love that now feels as distant as a dream across the Atlantic.
Lauraine’s inner voice crackles with a mix of cynicism and desperation, questioning the loss of liberty and the looming power dynamics of a baronet’s household. The novel paints her restless spirit against a backdrop of Victorian propriety, teasing the inevitable clash between duty and desire. Listeners will be drawn into her conflicted mind, eager to see whether she will surrender to expectation or find a path toward her own agency.
Language
en
Duration
~8 hours (471K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United Kingdom: Ward, Lock & Co., Limited, 1912.
Credits
Al Haines
Release date
Jul 10, 2023
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1860–1938
A prolific Scottish novelist who published under the name Rita, she wrote popular fiction for decades and became widely known to late Victorian and Edwardian readers. Her books often blend romance, society drama, and strong emotional stakes.
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