12 h 2 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 12 h 2 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What does honour demand when love enters a world where a single scandal can ruin a name?
In His Grace of Osmonde, Frances Hodgson Burnett brings you into an earlier England of great houses, fine clothes and careful manners. At its centre stands the Duke of Osmonde, a man whose wealth and rank matter less than his principles. Around him, reputation carries weight, and love lives under society’s watchful eye.
Then there is Clorinda Wildairs: beautiful, spirited and used to having her own way. A companion to A Lady of Quality, this romance views the same events through the Duke’s eyes. His character shapes the tale, while strict codes of honour frame a world in which a woman’s reputation and a man’s good name remain painfully fragile.
What you’ll discover
- A nobleman of principle Meet a Duke defined not simply by rank, but by the honour he holds dear.
- Clorinda’s force of will Encounter a beautiful, spirited woman accustomed to having her own way.
- Society’s watchful eye Enter great houses where careful etiquette offers no protection from the threat of scandal.
- Another side of events See the story shared with A Lady of Quality from the Duke’s point of view.
- Richly formal storytelling Settle into ornate prose and a narrator who pauses to consider people and their motives.
Who will love it
Readers who love sweeping historical romance, courtly manners and Stuart London gossip will enjoy this book. It rewards those drawn to honor, restraint and steadfast devotion.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Bells ring for a duke's heir
- A story of cruelty stays with a boy
- Strength and self-command at Oxford and Court
- A girl in scarlet leaps a gate
- A girl on the road shows what Oxon does
- Loss, a wild girl who changes, and a ball
- A night of fury and a calm face
- Justice and mercy for those left alone
- Love as a meeting of equals
- Fate, bells, roses and a long gallery
Who’s who
- Gerald Mertoun, Duke of OsmondeA tall, learned and honorable nobleman who waits years for a woman who can be his equal, and who guards his feelings with iron self-command.
- Clorinda WildairsA fearless, black-eyed beauty raised among rough hunters, who chooses to remake herself and carries a hidden burden of shame.
- Lord DunstanwoldeA gentle, widowed Earl who loves Gerald like a son and finds a late, joyful hope in a young woman.
- Sir John OxonA beautiful, ruined rake who treats women as prey and wants Clorinda to prove his power.
- Mistress Anne WildairsClorinda's timid sister, the first person to show her what love means, and her faithful companion.
- Mistress Rebecca HalsellGerald's grave, loving nurse, who teaches him that a king must think of his people.
- Sir Christopher CrowellA jovial Gloucestershire squire who has known Clorinda since she was small and cheers for her at every turn.
- Duke of MarlboroughThe brilliant soldier who admires Gerald's self-command and sees more of his heart than most.
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His Grace of Osmonde
by Frances Hodgson Burnett · 1896
A duke's son watches a wild girl in breeches clear a five-bar gate, and a long, costly love begins.
Medium level10–20 hours to readEnglish
Excellent
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In short
It is the fifth day of April, 1676, and church bells ring in five villages because a duke has an heir. Years later in another county, a newborn girl lies beneath her dead mother, unwanted by a father who would rather ride to the hunt.
His Grace of Osmonde at a glance
- Reading time
- About 6 h 55 min5 h 30 min fast, 8 h 15 min slow
- Length
- 99,200 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1896by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Bells ring for a duke's heir
The story opens at Camylott, a village in the shadow of a great house called the Tower. The villagers drink ale and wait for news from the White Chamber, where the young Duchess is in labour. When the messenger gallops in, the bells peal out. An heir is born, Gerald Mertoun.
His parents love each other deeply, and the whole book measures later love against theirs. His head nurse, Mistress Halsell, a plain chaplain's widow, looks at the baby with a grave respect, as if he were already a man.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1896
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 7 h 50 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Burnett, Frances Hodgson. His Grace of Osmonde. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/his-grace-of-osmonde.
Burnett, F. H. (2026). His Grace of Osmonde. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/his-grace-of-osmonde (Original work published 1896)
Burnett, Frances Hodgson. His Grace of Osmonde. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/his-grace-of-osmonde.
@book{burnett2026his,
author = {Burnett, Frances Hodgson},
title = {His Grace of Osmonde},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/his-grace-of-osmonde},
note = {First published 1896}
}
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What is His Grace of Osmonde about?
It follows Gerald Mertoun, heir to the Duke of Osmonde, from his birth in 1676 into manhood. He waits years for a woman worthy of him and meets Clorinda Wildairs, a wild Gloucestershire beauty, while loyalty and honor stand between them.
Who is Clorinda Wildairs?
Clorinda, called Clo, is the youngest daughter of the brutal baronet Sir Jeoffry Wildairs. Raised among hunters and stable hands, she is fearless and beautiful, and she later remakes herself into a stately lady while keeping her fire.
Is His Grace of Osmonde based on a true story?
The main characters are invented, but the setting is real. The story moves through the courts of Charles the Second and Queen Anne and brings in historical figures such as the Duke of Marlborough and his Duchess, Sarah.
The author
Frances Hodgson Burnett
1849–1924 · English-American novelist and playwright
Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849–1924) was a novelist and playwright born in Manchester, England. She moved to the United States in 1865 and later lived in England and New York. Her books include Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886), A Little Princess (1905), and The Secret Garden (1911). She died in New York.
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