Love at Second Sight

In the middle of the First World War, having survived a crisis three years ago, Edith and Bruce Ottley have reached a place of stasis in their marriage - seemingly, growing wisdom and maturity have trumped any impulsiveness they may have felt back then. But also in those three years the war has come along. Edith particularly has noticed recently how it has changed people - they are starting to behave more recklessly in the concentrated life-or-death atmosphere.

Then two key people come into their lives. Edith's great temptation of three years ago, the handsome and elegant Aylmer Ross, returns wounded from the Front, no less devoted to her than before, and desperately wanting to see her again. And Eglantine Frabelle, the older English widow of a Frenchman, comes to stay with them, brought via a mutual connection. Eglantine is of a very sure nature, and not afraid to offer up her insights into the deeper psychology and motivations of all and sundry, but Edith soon realises that she is almost invariably utterly wrong! Edith is highly amused; Bruce, typically, believes her a genius.

But what effect will the new war-inspired recklessness have on them? Will Edith be able to follow through with her well-established loyalty to Bruce and resist the reaffirmed charms of Aylmer? Will Bruce's nerves, having kept him out of the war to date, remain safe at their highest tension? Or will he give way to hot-headedness and commit a rash act? What eventually occurs redirects their individual futures entirely.

Love at Second Sight, the third of Leverson's splendidly witty Ottleys novels, and her last, was first published in 1916.