The cloven foot : $b A novel

by M. E. (Mary Elizabeth) Braddon

"The Cloven Foot" by M. E. Braddon is a novel published in 1879. When John Treverton inherits his uncle's estate with one condition—he must marry the adopted daughter Laura within a year—he accepts, despite harboring a dark secret. Unknown to his new bride, John already lived another life in London as Jack Chicot, married to a French dancer. When La Chicot is murdered, John faces accusations of killing his first wife to secure his inheritance, threatening both his freedom and his future.