A Laodicean : A Story of To-day

by Thomas Hardy

"A Laodicean: A Story of To-day" by Thomas Hardy is a novel published in 1880-81. Paula Power inherits a medieval castle and finds herself torn between two suitors: George Somerset, a modern London architect, and Captain De Stancy, representing aristocratic tradition. When De Stancy's illegitimate son schemes to manipulate Paula's affections through falsified telegrams and photographs, the resulting deceptions threaten to destroy her chance at happiness. This unusual Hardy tale explores the conflict between modernity and romantic medievalism through intrigue and subterfuge.