Red Pottage

"Red Pottage" by Mary Cholmondeley is a story set in the Victorian era about Hugh Scarlett, who struggles with a passionate relationship with Lady Newhaven and longs for a life free from her grasp. The book looks closely at love, what society expects, and tough moral choices. At the start, Hugh reflects on how unhappy he is with Lady Newhaven. As he rides through London, he realizes the affair that once excited him now feels heavy and wrong. He remembers the early days of their relationship, which makes the guilt he feels even stronger. When he sees Lady Newhaven at a party, it shows how perfect their lives seem on the outside, but it also hints at the trouble to come as Hugh feels more and more trapped, leading to love, betrayal, and a search for forgiveness.