The Sorceress

In this Victorian novel by Mrs. Oliphant, a master of sharp social observation and psychologically layered fiction, private anguish collides with public judgment. Bee Kingsward is devastated when a sudden revelation shows that something irreparable has come between her and Aubrey Leigh, who departs in anguish to plead his case directly with Colonel Kingsward. Aubrey's defense unfolds as a tragic account of grief, duty, and a promise to his dying wife, complicated by the presence of Miss Lance, a suspicious letter, and the shadow of scandal that he cannot fully dispel. Colonel Kingsward listens with cold skepticism, unwilling to judge by sympathy rather than appearances, while Aubrey desperately names witnesses such as Fairfield, Lord Langtry, and Vavasour in the hope of proving his innocence. The novel's first volume closes amid this tension of reputation, truth, and emotional ruin, while its sixteen-chapter structure hints at a larger, richly plotted story shaped by mystery, domestic conflict, and the unsettling power suggested by its title. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.