This is the second book that I downloaded to my Ipad and I couldn't be happier. With no access to books freely this has opened a vista for me which was unimaginable.
A very old fashioned read. Set at the end of the 19th century, we see very clearly that time is of no account where people are concerned. We get the good and the villains in every era and though gentility and being a gentleman were of paramount importance at the time, it is not something that was apparent in every man of the time and the story is partly representative of this.
We have the lady of the house, married to the Lord Penrith. She spurned the advances of his brother and married him and this is something that the brother kept in mind till the end of his days. Ending up as a murderer not once but twice - the first time letting another take the blame, the second time around being so successful that it was ruled as an accidental death, he comes into the baronetcy and the wealth of his brother. It does not lead to a happy end though and the moral of repentance before death to get absolution for your sins (does it work out like this so easily!) is part of the story.
Very descriptive of the surroundings of the area in which the book is situated, also finely tuned as to the characters of the story, it was a very pleasant read.
Free books are the best things! I love exploring all these lost classics - there's so much out there. I hadn't heard of this Braddon, so I'll have to go have a look.
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