Wedlock

Mary Eleanor Bowes became one of Britain's richest heiresses at the age of eleven. Pregnant with her lover's child and with her first husband dead, Mary became engaged to George Gray. Then in swooped Andrew Robinson Stoney, who had defended her honour in a duel with the Revd Henry Bate, the 'Fighting Parson'. Mary was bowled over and married Andrew Stoney within the week, having been told that his death was imminent. But nothing was as it seemed. Stoney survived, he was broke and his pursuit of the wealthy Countess a calculated ploy. Even the famous duel was a fake. Once married to Mary, he embarked on years of ill treatment, seizing her lands, beating her, terrorising servants, introducing prostitutes to the family home and kidnapping his own sister. But finally after many years, a servant helped Mary to escape. She began a high-profile divorce case that was the scandal of the day and was successful. But then Andrew kidnapped her and undertook a week-long rampage of terror and cruelty until the law finally caught up with him.