Wilkie Collins 
Miss or Mrs.? [PDF ebook] 

Short romance drama story.
Fifteen-year-old Natalie is in love with Launcelot, her delightful and adoring cousin, but her loving father is blinded to the villainy of Mr. Turlington, his long time friend and advisor who presses to marry her. Father thinks her objections to the marriage are whimsical, and due to her youthfulness. We see the villainy of Turlington compounded behind the scenes, as he seeks to secure Natalie’s fortune. He is increasingly irked by Launcelot’s ability to light up her smiles, while she remains cold toward himself. The plot thickens wonderfully as we grow in our abhorrence of the villain.