The Daltons; Or, Three Roads in Life. Volume II (of II)

In the fog-drenched dawn, two men prepare to shoot each other over an affair of honor. Such is the world of Charles James Lever, where duels are fought over misunderstandings, fortunes hang on a single revelation, and the road to happiness runs through enough near-misses to try any reader's patience. This second volume finds Frank Dalton newly restored to his inheritance after the murder of Mr. Godfrey revealed his true birthright, yet his health broken by the trials he has endured. Only the steadfast devotion of Kate stands between him and despair. Meanwhile, Lord Norwood and Count Trouville circle each other with pistols drawn, their duel delayed by the absurd absence of a missing second, pulling the unwitting Scroope Purvis into their chaotic orbit. Lever writes with the manic energy of a man who knows society's rules are ridiculous but insists on following them anyway. The result is a novel that mocks the pretensions of the aristocracy while genuinely caring whether its characters find their way to love and redemption.