The Vicissitudes of Bessie Fairfax

A young woman named Bessie is born into a genteel but complicated household and grows up amid the rural routines of Beechhurst, where local characters and a well-meaning doctor shape her early years. Compelled by family events to go into exile, she receives an education, travels, and uncovers a hidden family secret that affects her future. Return to her native environs brings disputes over property and social standing, strained friendships, and legal and domestic manoeuvres that test her temper and principles. By means of steadfastness, aid from allies, and personal growth she confronts matters of love, duty, and inheritance and moves toward reconciliation.