Connie's Deception

Connie Elliott first comes to The 4 Corners as a fearless six-year-old who asks too many questions, says exactly what she thinks, and gives away her heart with the absolute confidence of a child.

Years later, she returns from Europe transformed: beautiful, accomplished, wealthy, and carrying a secret she cannot explain.

Waiting at the old New England crossroads are two cousins who grew up under the same roof and became very different men. Kenneth Stannard is steady, hardworking, and quietly devoted. Harry Morris is handsome, charming, and accustomed to getting what he wants.

But Connie has changed too. The girl who once trusted without hesitation has learned that appearances can deceive, promises can bind long after they should have broken, and some truths carry consequences of their own.

What happened to Connie abroad? And can she find her way back to the life she once imagined for herself?

First published in 1905 as Connie's Mistake, Mary J. Holmes's late novel is a story of love and loyalty, money and reputation, appearances and consequences, and a deception whose true cost is understood only when the past finally comes home.

This Illuminated Edition, newly titled Connie's Deception, pairs Holmes's story with original illustrations, editorial context, and carefully disclosed adaptations that invite a new generation of readers into her world.

Mary J. Holmes (1825-1907) was one of the most widely read novelists of the nineteenth century, with sales rivaling Mark Twain's. Her books were read in parlors and train cars across America and Britain - beloved for their sharp wit, emotional honesty, and plots that kept the pages turning.

This Illuminated Edition from The Marguerite Project has taken the original text and carefully prepared it for contemporary readers - updating the language of a different era, giving voice to characters who deserved to be heard, and preserving the storytelling that made Holmes famous. The story is hers. We just opened the curtains.