Innocent

Along a neglected by-road scented with wildflowers and hedgerows, Briar Farm emerges as a living relic of older rural England, where tradition, labor, and nature still seem to hold sway. Into this pastoral world comes Innocent, a grave, delicate young woman whose quiet beauty, tenderness toward her white dove Cupid, and teasing wit set her apart from the bustling farmyard around her. In the hayfield, amid the warmth of harvest and the cheerful labor of the workers, she becomes the center of a spirited emotional triangle with her father, Uncle Hugo, and Robin, the handsome young man who loves her and grows increasingly jealous of her devotion to Cupid. Their dialogue is playful, sharp, and touching, balancing comic observations about love, marriage, and the burdens of domestic life with Robin's earnest longing and Innocent's elusive affection. Yet beneath the banter lies real feeling: fear for her aging father, a quiet awareness of mortality, and Robin's patient promise to wait for her forever. As the haymaking procession closes in a glow of roses, blessings, and rural good cheer, Innocent's thoughts turn toward ambition and London. Her departure by train marks a powerful shift from pastoral security to urban uncertainty, as she enters the modern world alone, frightened, homesick, and courageously determined. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.