Wylder's Hand

The narrator describes life in a small rural community whose drawing-room dinners, visits, and social rituals introduce a cast of intertwined characters. An urbane newcomer and the provocative figure of Mark Wylder stir gossip, rivalry, and unease around a secluded young woman who tends her garden at Redman's Farm. Strange nocturnal happenings, ominous warnings, and a threatening notice raise tension and lead to Wylder's unexplained disappearance. An attorney, the local clergy, and other townspeople investigate, revealing secrets, accusations, and fractured loyalties. The account blends close social observation with mounting mystery and gothic atmosphere as relationships and reputations are tested.