No Defense, Volume 3.

"No Defense, Volume 3" by Gilbert Parker is a story that takes place in the 1800s and looks at identity, guilt, and complicated relationships between people from different walks of life. The story is about Dyck Calhoun, a Jamaican planter haunted by his past, especially his guilt for killing Erris Boyne, who was a shady character and also the father of Sheila Llyn. The arrival of Sheila and her mom from Virginia to take care of a plantation brings tension as Dyck wrestles with their shared past, society's biases, and his own sense of honor. The story starts with Dyck thinking about his life during Christmas on his plantation, and a letter to Sheila shows his desire for connection and his regret because his past has made him an outcast. Even though he's rich and important, he feels like an outlaw in his own home. When he finds out Sheila is back in Jamaica to manage her family's property, their unresolved history hangs over them, threatening to ruin their delicate relationship and darken the future he hoped for. The story prepares a stage for a look at love, regret, and fighting against what society expects.