His Study in Scandal

Theo Osborne enters negotiations to wed the half-sister of the Duke of Chelmswich and decides to celebrate with one last night of debauchery. Meanwhile, Alexandra, the Dowager Duchess of Chelmswich, is finally out of mourning for her late husband, so her scandalous stepdaughter Edith takes her to the Garden of Hedon for some much-needed fun. Theo and Alexandra meet and have an anonymous, passionate encounter. Each goes their own way until they meet again at a ball, where Alexandra learns that Theo is the man whom her stepson (the Duke of Chelmswich) has chosen as a husband for her daughter Harriet. When Theo tries to back out of negotiations to wed Harriet, the duke, desperate for funds, threatens Theo’s business interests. Theo is eager to marry Alexandra instead, but having just ended her mourning for a marriage she hated, Alexandra refuses to relinquish her newfound freedom.