A Broken Blossom

At the decaying Château des Roses, faded grandeur and emotional unease mingle in every room, from the Baron de Nesselrode's ruined family hall to the chapel and its neglected organ. A broken Venetian glass, a tame wolf named L'Empereur, and the Baron's darkly ironic talk of exile and ruined fortunes reveal a man of pride, loneliness, and wounded honor. When Tessie, Ange, and Hilda visit, music briefly revives the chapel, and the Baron's warm invitation suggests that this broken life might yet be redeemed. But the novel's charm is shadowed by suspicion and old grief. Hilda grows uneasy about the Baron's gambling, spies on a card game, and is left heartsick by what she sees. A mysterious Venetian vase sent for her flowers offers a more hopeful sign, though her own worries—money, propriety, and dependence on Mr. Lovett—remain close at hand. Then Cave Charteris arrives in St. Pucelle, all easy wit and unsettling familiarity, stirring memories Hilda would rather keep buried. His presence deepens the social tension, forcing her to confront betrayal, lingering love, and the possibility that the past has not finished with her. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.