Wives and Daughters Chapter 55 - An Absent Lover Returns

In which the return of Roger Hamley after his travels stirs a mixture of hope and unease among those near him, as delicate family tensions and unspoken intentions linger beneath the outward politeness of visits and inquiries. Meanwhile, Cynthia’s resolute refusal to renew an old engagement and her contemplations of a distant future cast a quiet shadow over the summer’s blooming brightness.