Poldark novels Part XI

Selina is angry that Valentine has been unfaithful and that he's spending her fortune foolishly. She leaves him after Agneta disappears and takes their son young George. Valentine is angry and determined to get the child back, he lives wildly with male friends and invites whores to the house. Isabella goes on with her singing studies and goes to France to take part in an opera. While she is away, the serial killers comes to Nampara where Demelza is alone, and confesses to her. It is Paul Kellow, a local gentleman who was with Jeremy and Stephen Carrington when they robbed the bank property. He hates women and he killed Agneta and the other girls. Ross returns unexpectedly, in time to save his wife. Valentine is increasingly depressed and buys a large ape from a man in a sea port, and takes him home. The servants are terrified of the animal but he is a companion to Valentine. Ross continues to feel a bit sorry for Valentine in spite of his disapproval of the young man's whoring, but the locals still are angry with him because of his arrogance and his wild living. Ben Carter son of Ross's old friend, Jim Carter, is helping to manage the mine since Jeremy's death. He has always been in love with Clowance but she did not return his feelings. However Ben has now met Esther Carne, the daughter of one of Demelza's miner brothers, who has taken up a post as a nursemaid to Geoffrey Poldark's baby at Trenwith. Geoffrey has returned from the wars, after several years and is now managing his estate and studying law, and he has brought home a Spanish wife Amadora. Ben falls in love with Esther and they become engaged with Demelza's encouragement. Esther upsets Jinny, Ben's Methodist mother by getting interested in Amadora's religon and going to a Catholic church with her but the couple get married. Isabella returns from France where she has performed in an opera, and comes home to Cornwall for a holiday, but she becomes ill. She has diptheria which killed her sister Julia many years before and her illness is very serious. Dwight Enys nurses her with help from Clowance. While Bella is recovering, Edward Fitzmaurice proposes to Clowance and she decides to accept him.