Lucius Davoren; Or, Publicans and Sinners by M. E. Braddon

At Mardenholme's glittering country garden-party, Geoffrey Hossack is surrounded by ease, flirtation, and polished society, yet his mind remains fixed on Janet Davoren and the wrongs that have parted them. Restless and bitter, he escapes into a secluded village lane, where the quiet beauty of rural life offers him an unexpected peace and draws him toward a cottage that seems to embody domestic simplicity and moral order. There he recognizes Flossie, the child he has won with gifts and kindness, and is led to Janet herself in a reunion charged with tenderness, hope, and uncertainty. Geoffrey insists that Janet's husband, Mr. Vandeleur, is dead and that he knew him in America under another name, but Janet demands proof and refuses to surrender her independence on mere sentiment. Over a country tea with Flossie, she explains that she has come to Foxley to rest, recover, and revisit the home she once lost, while Geoffrey, intoxicated by her company, dreams of settling near her. She allows affection only within strict bounds, and when he returns to the glittering entertainments, he finds their brilliance empty beside the intimate warmth of Janet's table. In a parallel thread, Lucius investigates the tragic history of Félicie Dumarques, piecing together her lost romance, secret marriage, and death through the testimony of a watchmaker and his servant. Clues lead him toward the identity of the Englishman who visited her and the hidden family ties surrounding her past, sending him on to the Hôtel Britannique in search of further answers. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.