A Terrible Temptation: A Story of To-Day

About the book

Richard Bassett believes that the wealth enjoyed by his cousin Sir Charles should rightfully be his. Living beside the larger estate keeps the grievance constantly before him, and his interest in Bella Bruce mixes affection with financial calculation. When Bella's attachment to Sir Charles threatens Richard's hopes of eventually inheriting, family resentment becomes active interference. Reade introduces other people whose claims upon Charles complicate the proposed marriage, including the formidable Rhoda Somerset. The novel follows the pressure that property and succession place upon intimate relationships, showing how apparent security can depend on facts others are eager to contest. Its sensational developments grow from a recognizable starting point: a man who turns an old injustice, real or imagined, into permission to manipulate the lives around him.

• Inheritance and resentment
• Marriage under pressure
• Manipulation and loyalty

Why read it

The physical closeness of the cousins' unequal homes gives Richard's grievance a persistent, visible source of fuel.

English text of Charles Reade's novel