Dead men's shoes, vol. 2 (of 3)

"Dead men's shoes, vol. 2 (of 3)" by M. E. Braddon is a novel written in the late 19th century. It follows Sibyl Faunthorpe, secretly married to Alexis Secretan, as she is pushed by her rich uncle Stephen Trenchard toward a dazzling match with baronet Sir Wilford Cardonnel. Moving between Redcastle’s provincial society and storied country seats, the tale pivots on love versus ambition, social standing, and a dangerous tangle of money and identity. The opening of this volume shows Sir Wilford pressing his suit—with his sister Phoebe in tow—while Trenchard eagerly courts “county” approval and plans Sibyl’s triumph, despite her private resolve to stay true to Alexis. After a stately visit to the Cardonnels’ moated home, the How, Sibyl enlists her sharp-tongued sister Jenny to conceal her presence and mislead any inquiry, especially from a certain “poor young man.” Jenny then engineers Marion’s absence and intercepts Alexis, who reveals he is Sibyl’s husband; she fends him off with a tale that Sibyl has gone to Jersey and begs him not to alarm their other uncle, Dr. Faunthorpe. Alexis’s search in Jersey fails; drifting to Hampshire, he finds his cousin Matilda Secretan dead and her estate, Cheswold Grange, without a claimant, tours the neglected house, begins to suspect he is the missing heir, and finally confronts the family solicitors as they probe his identity.

Dead men's shoes, vol. 2 (of 3), by M. E. Braddon. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #78773.