Summary
Summary of Faithful Margaret
Faithful Margaret at a glance
Summary: 8 min to read
- Reading time
- About 6 h 55 min5 h 30 min fast, 8 h 15 min slow
- Length
- 99,000 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
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Key ideas
Key idea 1
A last wish becomes a trap
Margaret Walsingham kneels beside a dying woman, begging the doctor for another half hour. She wants the old lady to see her grandson before she dies, yet she fears his arrival. A will is about to bind Margaret to a man she has never met and already dreads.
This opening places loyalty beside fear. Margaret wants to comfort someone she loves, but that devotion draws her toward a future she would never freely choose.
Key idea 2
Pride turns strangers into enemies
St. Udo Brand must marry Margaret within twelve months or lose the estate to her.
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Key idea 3
Friendship conceals a dangerous design
At sea, St. Udo befriends the Chevalier de Calembours, whose valet Thoms watches him with unusual care.
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Key idea 4
A rescue offers uncertain shelter
After a railway collision, Margaret helps John Doane rescue a young woman trapped in an overturned carriage.
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Key idea 5
Compassion survives rejection and loss
At Hautville Park, Margaret begins to hope that St. Udo could still be saved.
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Key idea 6
A familiar face fails her tests
Margaret plans to sell Seven-Oak Waaste and build a charity when news arrives that Colonel Brand has returned.
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Key idea 7
Proof places Margaret in danger
Margaret recognizes the supposed colonel as Roland Mortlake, the messenger who came when Mrs. Brand died.
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Key idea 8
Identity means more than appearances
False names and borrowed manners run through Margaret's world.
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Key idea 9
Loyalty does not mean giving way
Margaret's unwanted inheritance leaves her among false names, forged letters and men who will not listen.
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Who it’s for
You will love this book if you enjoy Victorian melodrama, brave heroines, villains in disguise, and plots full of forged letters, chases and midnight dangers, with a love story built on forgiveness.
What this book is
Margaret Walsingham kneels beside a dying woman and begs the doctor for one more half hour. She wants the old lady to see her grandson before she goes, and she fears what his coming will mean. Within hours a will will bind her to a man she has never met and dreads.
Faithful Margaret is a Victorian novel by Annie Ashmore, set in 1862 and 1863. It is a melodrama of disguise and loyalty, and its heroine is poor, plain and impossible to break. You get a stubborn will, forged letters, a false friend and a man who comes home wearing the wrong face.
In this summary
- 1A last wish becomes a trapFree
- 2Pride turns strangers into enemies
- 3Friendship conceals a dangerous design
- 4A rescue offers uncertain shelter
- 5Compassion survives rejection and loss
- 6A familiar face fails her tests
- 7Proof places Margaret in danger
- 8Identity means more than appearances
- 9Loyalty does not mean giving way
A dying woman binds two strangers by will
Old Ethel Brand is dying in her castle at Seven-Oak Waaste in Surrey. At her side is Margaret Walsingham, a sea captain's daughter who has served as her companion for four years. Margaret begs the doctor to keep the old woman alive until her grandson, St. Udo Brand, arrives from London.
Mrs. Brand has written a will that gives the whole estate to her grandson, but only if he marries Margaret within a year. If he refuses, the estate goes to Margaret herself. Margaret hates the plan. She dreads St. Udo, a charming, reckless guardsman who has spent his own fortune and scoffs at faith. Even at the deathbed she pleads for the will to be changed.
Mrs. Brand dies in Margaret's arms just as carriage wheels sound in the courtyard. The heir has come too late, and the will stands as written. A last wish given in love can become a trap for the living.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
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Check yourself
Why does St. Udo initially treat Margaret with contempt?
Right. “He is sure she has schemed for four years to win his fortune.”Not quite. “He is sure she has schemed for four years to win his fortune.”
What does Margaret discover in the stolen notebook?
Right. “They show a plot to take the heir's place and win Castle Brand.”Not quite. “They show a plot to take the heir's place and win Castle Brand.”
How does Margaret combine faithfulness with justice?
Right. “She is quick to forgive, but when she knows a man is lying about who he is, she will not give way.”Not quite. “She is quick to forgive, but when she knows a man is lying about who he is, she will not give way.”
Go deeper: the whole of Faithful Margaret
About 7 h 10 min to read.Start freePaperback, hardcover and large print, printed for you at cost, are on their way.Email me when it is printed
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 99,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 6 h 55 min
Questions about Faithful Margaret
What is Faithful Margaret about?
It follows Margaret Walsingham, a poor companion left a castle in a dying woman's will. She tries to give it to the true heir, then must expose a dangerous man who comes to Castle Brand wearing someone else's face.
When is Faithful Margaret set?
The story takes place in 1862 and 1863, partly in Surrey and London and partly in the United States during the Civil War, where St. Udo Brand serves in the Federal army.
Who is the Chevalier de Calembours?
He is a talkative Hungarian adventurer who befriends St. Udo on the voyage to America. He wears ribbons and titles and wants money, and his loyalties change as often as his fortunes.
Is Faithful Margaret easy to read?
Yes, the plot moves quickly through short scenes, letters and chases, and each chapter ends on a hook. The characters are drawn clearly, and the narrator guides you through the story.
Cite this edition
Ashmore, Annie. Faithful Margaret. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/faithful-margaret.
Ashmore, A. (2026). Faithful Margaret. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/faithful-margaret
Ashmore, Annie. Faithful Margaret. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/faithful-margaret.
@book{ashmore2026faithful,
author = {Ashmore, Annie},
title = {Faithful Margaret},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/faithful-margaret}
}
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Get the full summary of Faithful Margaret, free
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