A broken blossom, vol. 2 of 3

by Florence Marryat

"A broken blossom, vol. 2 of 3" by Florence Marryat is a novel written in the late 19th century. Set in and around the small town of St. Pucelle, it follows Hilda Marsh, her guardian Mr. Lovett, his daughters Tessie and Ange, and the impoverished Baron de Nesselrode as domestic kindness, hidden vices, and romantic entanglements intersect. The return of Hilda’s former admirer, Cave Charteris, stirs old feelings and new tensions amid talk of gambling, social standing, and hope for better fortunes. The opening of this volume finds Hilda visiting the Baron’s decayed château, where a broken Venetian glass, a tame wolf, and a dusty chapel with an organ reveal both faded grandeur and fragile pride. Hilda later secretly witnesses the Baron and Mr. Lovett gambling, receives a delicate Venetian vase from the Baron, and hears town gossip linking the flirtatious Miss Markham to a young spendthrift, Arthur Thrale. As Ange’s birthday approaches, Hilda secures silver earrings for her, while the household prepares for a mysterious “change” that proves to be the arrival of a paying guest—Cave Charteris—whose sudden appearance unsettles Hilda. A strained but civil dinner, plans for forest hunting with the Baron, and Hilda’s private resurgence of grief for her mother close this opening movement.