Publisher's Synopsis
The Hardwicks of Morholm find the security of their comfortable and affluent existence shattered by the death of their patriarch, Joseph, and the arrival of their beautiful, orphaned cousin. Gentle, naive, and generous. Mary works as a catalyst on the introspective family circle: George, attractive and unpredictable, unwilling to face the responsibilities of his inheritance; James, his ambitious younger brother; Julia, their sullen and bitter sister. From the stately grounds of Morholm in the rural Fenlands to the crowded streets of London, from the glittering ballrooms to the tawdry bordellos, this is a panoramic portrayal of people, places and a bygone era.
