Anthony Trollope 
Kept in the Dark 

Published shortly before his death, ‘Kept in the Dark’ is one of Anthony Trollope’s most captivating short stories. The young Cecilia Holt falls in love with George Western and the pair are soon engaged to be married. George confides in Cecilia his experience of a previous engagement, but harbours such ill-will towards his former match that Cecilia cannot bring herself to share the tale of her own earlier broken engagement. Cecilia’s ex-fiancee plots to expose her secret, with potentially devastating consequences. Themes of jealousy, betrayal, and estrangement are explored in this thrilling short story. –