Self-Raised

In the wake of heartbreak and scandal, Ishmael, Claudia, and those around them are drawn into a world where private anguish collides with public ruin. Claudia wakes after a night of anguish exhausted in body and spirit, no longer defiant but longing for peace and escape, while the castle around her grows stranger and darker with Sally's unexplained disappearance and Mrs. Murdock's unsuspecting kindness. At the same time, Ishmael struggles to recover from losing Claudia, sustained by Bee's quiet, disciplined devotion, her faith, and her practical care. As Ishmael resumes work, he rejects Wiseman's lucrative but morally tainted partnership, affirming the novel's insistence on integrity. His weakening health brings him into the orbit of Herman Brudenell, whose invitation to Brudenell Hall leads to a devastating confession: Brudenell is Ishmael's father. Ishmael listens with compassion but refuses public acknowledgment or inheritance, determined to protect his mother Nora Worth's honor and restore her name through truth rather than scandal. Meanwhile, Lord Vincent and Captain Costo carry out a brutal abduction scheme, using hidden passages, chloroform, and gold to traffic Katie, Jim, and Sally from the castle's depths. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.