A touching love story of a girl endowed with remarkable beauty and independent character, whose ability to love and enjoy life remained unclaimed in Victorian England. ...Becoming the second wife of Brook Ferguson from Grove Hall, Cordelia quickly became accustomed to her responsibilities: successfully running a household, caring for her husband and obeying her father-in-law. This strange marriage could have dragged on indefinitely if Stephen Crossley had not entered the girl’s life. And although Cordelia recognized the strict morality of her time, she found the courage to respond to Stephen's love and fearlessly face the consequences... Written in the best traditions of the genre, the novel is fascinating, witty, distinguished by the grace of style and the accuracy of temporal and psychological characteristics.