Desperate Remedies

Hardy described Desperate Remedies as a tale of ''mystery, entanglement, surprise and moral obliquity''.

Cytherea has taken a position as lady''s maid to the eccentric arch-intriguer Miss Aldclyffe. On discovering that the man she loves, Edward Springrove, is already engaged to his cousin, Cytherea comes under the influence of Miss Aldclyffe''s fascinating, manipulative steward Manston.
Blackmail, ...