A Heart-Song of To-day (Disturbed by Fire from the 'Unruly Member'): A Novel

A lavish drawing‑room glitters with midnight chimes as Mrs. Tompkins, a strikingly bold and witty society lady, maneuvers her latest scheme. She summons the dashing Captain Trevalyon, a man famed for his charm and a reputation for “slaughtering hearts,” to discuss a marriage proposal that could bind her to a powerful suitor. Their repartee crackles with flirtation, veiled threats, and a lingering sense that the stakes extend beyond mere affection.

The scene shifts as other formidable figures—Colonel Haughton, the enigmatic George Delrose, and a brooding, bearded gentleman with a fierce gaze—enter the fray, each with their own designs on influence and intrigue. Alliances flicker, old debts resurface, and the elegant salon becomes a battlefield of pride, desire, and hidden motives. Listeners will be drawn into a world of Victorian elegance where love, power, and danger intertwine, setting the stage for a tangled romance that promises both wit and peril.