Wives and Daughters (1864)

Wives and Daughters, An Every-Day Story is a novel by English author Elizabeth Gaskell, first published in the Cornhill Magazine as a serial from August 1864 to January 1866. It was partly written whilst Gaskell was staying with the salon hostess Mary Elizabeth Mohl at her home on the Rue du Bac in Paris.

When Mrs Gaskell died suddenly in 1865, it was not quite complete, and the last section was written by Frederick Greenwood.

The story is about Molly Gibson, the only daughter of a widowed doctor living in a provincial English town in the 1830s.

Plot summary

The novel opens with Molly Gibson as a young child, being raised by her widowed father, Mr. Gibson, the local doctor. During a visit to the local aristocratic 'great house' of Lord and Lady Cumnor, Molly loses her way on the grounds of the estate and falls asleep under a tree. Lady Cuxhaven (one of the daughters of the house) and Mrs. Kirkpatrick (a former governess to the Cumnor children) find Molly and put her to bed in Mrs. Kirkpatrick's room. The Cumnor family refer to Mrs Kirkpatrick as “Clare”, the name by which she had been known when a governess. Clare appears to be a kind woman and assures Molly that she will wake her up when it is time for the entourage to leave. She forgets to do so, and Molly is stranded in the mansion. She is distressed at the thought of having to spend the night there. To her relief, her father soon arrives to collect her.

Seven years later, Molly has grown into an attractive, good-hearted and straightforward young woman. Mr Gibson discovers that one of his apprentices, Mr. Coxe, has become romantically interested in Molly, unbeknownst to her. To protect Molly, her father sends her to stay with the nearby Hamleys of Hamley Hall, members of the landed gentry whose ancestors’ presence there is said to date back to the Heptarchy, but whose circumstances are now reduced. Molly forms a close attachment with Mrs. Hamley, who embraces her almost as a daughter. Molly is also befriended by the younger of the Hamley sons, Roger. Molly is aware that, as the daughter of a professional man, she would not be considered a suitable match for the sons of Squire Hamley. The elder son, Osborne, has been expected to distinguish himself at Cambridge and make a brilliant marriage: he is handsome, clever and more fashionable than his brother. He performs poorly at university, breaking the hearts of his parents.

During Molly's absence from the house, Mr. Gibson decides to marry again. He hopes that marriage will improve his domestic comfort and provide Molly with a mother figure to shield her from influences such as that of Mr. Coxe. He finds Mrs. Kirkpatrick ideally suited to his requirements and recalls her apparent kindness to Molly many years ago. Molly remembers her from their previous encounter but has little love for her. For her father's sake, she does her best to get on with her socially ambitious and self-absorbed new stepmother. The home is not always happy, but Molly does find an ally in her new stepsister, Cynthia, who is of a similar age. The two girls are a study in contrasts: Cynthia is far more worldly and rebellious than Molly, who is naive and slightly awkward. Cynthia has been educated in France and it gradually becomes apparent that she and her mother have secrets about their past involving the Cumnors' land agent, Mr. Preston, who is rumoured to be a gambler and a scoundrel.

As Molly continues to frequent Hamley Hall, she accidentally discovers a great secret: Osborne Hamley has married for love, to a French, Roman Catholic, ex-nursery maid, Aimée, whom he has established in a secret cottage because he is convinced that his father would never accept Aimée as his daughter-in-law. To compound his problems, Osborne's failure at Cambridge appears to make his invalid mother's illness worse. This widens the divide between him and his father, which is amplified by the considerable debts Osborne has run up to maintain his secret wife. Mrs Hamley dies, and the breach between the squire and his eldest son seems irreparable. Despite this, Roger continues to work hard at university and ultimately gains the honours and rewards that his brother had been expected to attain.

Mrs. Gibson tries to arrange a marriage between Cynthia and Osborne, as her aspirations include having her daughter married to a member of the landed gentry. Molly has always valued Roger's good sense and honourable character and soon falls in love with him. Unfortunately for her, Roger falls in love with Cynthia and when Mrs. Gibson overhears that Osborne may be fatally ill, improving Roger's chances of becoming heir to the Hamley estate, she begins promoting the match. Just before Roger leaves on a two-year scientific expedition to Africa, he asks for Cynthia's hand and she accepts, although she insists that their engagement should remain secret until Roger returns. Molly is heartbroken, and struggles with her sorrow and her knowledge that Cynthia lacks affection for Roger.