The Doctor's Family - Chapter 15

'The Doctor’s Family' (1861) by Scottish author Margaret Oliphant is a beautifully observed Victorian novella, set in the fictional English town of Carlingford, a little out from London.

Chapter 15 follows Dr Rider through a restless evening filled with longing, impatience and sudden hope, as he imagines a bold escape with Nettie that would sweep away all obstacles at once.

His solitude is abruptly broken by devastating news from St Roque’s: Nettie is preparing to leave Carlingford with the Australian.

Shocked and undone, the doctor abandons caution, dinner and dignity alike, rushing out into the cold night toward the cottage, his mind aflame with jealousy, regret and the terrible sense that he has waited too long...