Desperate Remedies

When Cytherea Graye's father dies in a tragic accident, she and her brother Owen are left destitute. Forced to take a position as a lady's maid to the imperious Miss Aldclyffe at Knapwater House, Cytherea soon finds herself entangled in a web of passion, deceit, and danger. She falls in love with the charming architect Edward Springrove, but family obligations tear them apart. Enter the steward Aeneas Manston—magnetic, mysterious, and ruthless. As Manston's sinister past begins to surface, a tale of arson, bigamy, and murder unfolds. Will the truth destroy everyone in its path? Thomas Hardy's gripping first novel combines a sensation thriller with a tender love story. This faithful modern retelling preserves the original's edge-of-your-seat suspense while making the language fresh and accessible for today's readers. Part of Timeless Classics.