Squire Arden

In this third volume of Mrs. Oliphant's Squire Arden, the quiet country-house world of Arden is shaken by scandal, mistaken loyalties, and the collapse of identity itself. Arthur Arden's cold survival after his fall from favor, Mrs. Pimpernel's public fury, and the villagers' gossip all feed a growing sense that charm and social polish can no longer conceal self-interest, while Jeanie's illness and Mrs. Murray's feverish insistence hint at older wounds beneath the surface. At the center stands Edgar, increasingly isolated as he tries to make sense of conflicting stories about Arthur, Clare, and the household he thought he understood. Then comes the shattering revelation: he is not truly an Arden at all, but an adopted son whose name, inheritance, and place in the family are built on long-buried sacrifice and deception. As he seeks out Dr. Somers, Mr. Fielding, and Lady Augusta, Edgar must defend Mrs. Arden's honor, confront Clare's distress, and accept the loss of the future he imagined with Gussy Thornleigh. Oliphant blends moral tension, domestic tragedy, and sharp social observation into a novel of reputation, repentance, and painful self-knowledge. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.