Wives and Daughters

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell is an unfinished novel that Cornhill Magazine originally published as a serial in 1864. It follows Molly Gibson, a young girl under the care of her widowed father, who falls in love with a son of the landed gentry and discovers the secrets of her friends and family. Smith, Elder and Company published the novel in 1866.

When young Molly and her doctor father, Mr. Gibson, visit the mansion of Lord and Lady Cumnor, Molly gets lost while wandering the grounds and falls asleep under a tree. Mrs. Kirkpatrick, a former governess, soon finds her. Mrs. Kirkpatrick takes her to her room and lets her fall asleep there, assuring her that she will wake her before the party leaves. On waking, Molly finds that Mrs. Kirkpatrick has forgotten her and she fears she'll be trapped in the mansion all night. Her father, however, fetches her home.

Seven years have passed, and Molly attracts the attention of Mr. Cox, Mr. Gibson's apprentice. Mr. Gibson, worried about leaving Molly alone with Mr. Cox, sends her away to live with some of his friends, The Hamleys.

At Hamley Hall, Molly meets the family's younger son, Roger. The two talk about science and books and Roger teaches her many things. Osborne is Roger's older brother, and the sibling that the Hamley's consider the cleverer of the two, even though his grades at university have been disappointing. The Hamleys expect that Osborne will make a suitable marriage match for himself soon.

Meanwhile, Mr. Gibson has decided to marry Miss Clare, formerly Mrs. Kirkpatrick, as he believes that Molly needs a mother figure. Molly moves back home and finds Miss Clare to be a bit selfish and quick to complain, but not unkind. Miss Clare's daughter Cynthia is about the same age as Molly, but is more worldly and social, having received her education in France. Despite their differences, Molly and Cynthia quickly become friends.

On a visit to Hamley Hall, Molly discovers that Osborne has been hiding away a former nursery maid, Aimee, in a little cottage. He's entered into a secret marriage with her and believes that his family will not approve, as Aimee is a French Roman Catholic and the marriage is not advantageous. He has amassed debts in the interest of sustaining his wife.

Mrs. Hamley soon dies from a prolonged illness, and Mr. Hamley blames Osborne's poor grades and accruing debt, still unaware of the secret marriage.

Mrs. Gibson, wanting Cynthia to marry into the well-established Hamley family, tries to arrange a marriage between Cynthia and Osborne. When Osborne becomes ill, however, she begins to arrange a match between Cynthia and Roger instead. Roger falls in love with Cynthia on the cusp of his two-year expedition to Africa. Before he leaves, he asks her to marry him, and she agrees, insisting that the engagement be secret. Molly realizes then that she has been in love with Roger all along and doesn't believe that Cynthia is in love with him at all. She gives Roger a dried flower.

Cynthia tells Molly that when she was just fifteen years old, a scoundrel named Mr. Preston agreed to loan her 20 pounds to buy a new dress if she would promise to marry him. Cynthia wrote him letters confirming her intention to marry him, and Mr. Preston keeps these as blackmail. Molly, determined to help her stepsister, goes to Mr. Preston and convinces him to give her the letters and break the engagement.

Molly was spotted visiting Mr. Preston, and rumors begin to circulate that she's secretly involved with the man, damaging her reputation. Eventually, the gossip leads to the uncovering of Cynthia's secret, and Cynthia breaks off her engagement to Roger. She instead marries a professional named Mr. Henderson.

Lady Harriet Cumnor invites Molly for a public drive, and Molly's damaged reputation is restored.

Osborne succumbs to his illness and Molly reveals his secret about Aimee. By this time, Aimee has had a son, and she arrives with him at Hamley Hall. Roger comes home as well and convinces his father that Aimee and "little Osborne" are family, despite Aimee's French heritage. Squire Hamley invites the two to live at Hamley Hall.

Lady Harriet Cumnor mentions to Roger that Molly would be a suitable match, and Roger begins to have feelings for Molly. He decides not to approach her, feeling foolish after wasting his affections on Cynthia. Mr. Gibson gives Roger his blessing, but a scarlet fever outbreak prevents him from speaking with Molly before he leaves.

Gaskell was unable to finish her novel before her death, but she had relayed to a friend that she intended for Roger to come back from Africa, offer the dried flower Molly had given him and confess his love for her.