Underwood

Jacob Underwood and Elsbeth Covington, both living by old-fashioned values while trying to incorporate modern-day attitudes, meet and fall in love in the wake of the death of Elsbeth's grandmother, who was also Jacob's client. In the settling of the estate, Elsbeth invites Jacob, a rare book dealer, to appraise her grandmother's library. Their common interests in fine literature and poetry bring them closer together. The story revolves around their romance, but the focus is on Jacob as he struggles to resolve his inner conflicts, confront Elsbeth’s domineering step-brother, Marcus, who believes that Elsbeth has inherited some secret wealth and that Jacob is out to steal it, and a third obstacle to their happiness which has Jacob in a turmoil as he attempts to reconcile his own dreams with those of Elsbeth’s.