With Edged Tools

In a glittering London ballroom, Sir John Meredith and Lady Cantourne trade witty, weary observations as the younger generation makes its debut, and all eyes settle on Miss Millicent Chyne, the evening's belle. Her poised beauty draws two very different men: Guy Oscard, a bronzed return from Africa whose blunt honesty and rugged sincerity unsettle the room's polished ease, and Jack Meredith, the perfect society gentleman whose elegance masks a troubling emptiness. As Millicent and Jack move toward an engagement, their restrained conversation reveals a world where charm, strategy, and social performance shape even matters of the heart. Sir John, amused yet shrewd, challenges his son's motives and withholds approval, exposing the tension between duty, money, and genuine feeling. Elsewhere, the story turns darker and more urgent. In Loango, Jocelyn Gordon discovers Victor Durnovo's return and resists his attempt to force her into marriage through threats against her brother Maurice and a cruel accusation about slavery. Unshaken, she turns his own weaponry against him and drives him off. Then a messenger from Msala brings John Meredith's warning that the tribes have risen and are encircling the Plateau, prompting Jocelyn to send telegrams and riders in a desperate race to save the settlement. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.