A Love Story

Duty to an old family turns generosity into social ambition for Sir Henry Delmé. In William Harvey Christie's A Love Story, the young heir accepts responsibility for his father's debts and restores the estate's finances. His resolve gradually becomes a determination to raise the family's standing through rank and advantageous connections. His brother George serves with a regiment in Malta, while their sister Emily brings intelligence, warmth and a lively sense of social distinctions to the family portrait.

The opening lingers over the ancestral mansion, its ornaments and its history, making the family home a measure of Henry's ambitions. A later scene follows Henry, George and Acmé through an asylum, where encounters with patients introduce a troubling view of distress and its treatment. Readers interested in older British romance will find detailed descriptions and close attention to the point at which family loyalty becomes personal ambition.