By Proxy draws you into a tangled web of loyalty, money, and quiet heartbreak in a world where duty clashes with affection. A son must decide how far he will go to shield old friends—and a grieving family—from ruin.

In a tale of high social stakes and intimate longing, the young Raymond Pennicuick faces a delicate mission: secure relief for the widow and daughter of a dead friend without shaking their pride. He navigates family loyalties, political expectations, and a growing pull toward a woman who might be more than his reverie. The narrative tracks tension between public duty and private sentiment, set against the pressures of money, reputation, and propriety in a changing era.

As plans unfold, the book moves through candid letters, private conversations, and the slow, uncertain path toward grace. It keeps its focus on character, choice, and the quiet costs of wholehearted helping—revealing how generosity can be both a lifeline and a source of tension within a fragile family dynamic.

Follow Raymond’s struggle to balance duty to a grieving family with his own feelings.

See how a proposed pension becomes a test of pride, gratitude, and independence.

Meet Nelly Conway and the people who orbit her world after loss.

Experience a sharply observed portrait of social expectation, influence, and private courage.

Ideal for readers of classic Victorian fiction that centers on family obligations, romance, and the cost of acting with integrity.

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We first started out as ?The Paperback Exchange,? a chain of physical bookstores where we would part exchange your beloved books for new stories to transport you to faraway places. However, as shopping started to evolve to online shops and marketplaces, we bid our stores goodbye to become ?PBShop.? This transition has only allowed us to blossom as we now ship thousands of titles to book lovers across the globe. We pride ourselves in being a community of local book lovers which allows our passion and devotion to shine in everything we do. In 2020 we not only celebrated our 20th birthday but our 1st birthday as being completely employee owned after becoming an E.O.T in September 2019. We are proud to be different and embrace standing apart on a book mountain by working from a virtual inventory which allows us to provide thousands of books that may be difficult to get for your bookshelf or your studies. Working with a number of different suppliers allows us to explore other avenues such as puzzles, sheet music and even stationery so we really do have something for everyone. Life is about being versatile in all realms of existence. If this is your first visit or you are a returning customer, we would like to welcome you to the PBShop family, for there is no friend as loyal as a book. We are a company who put our customers at the centre of everything we do as we understand the importance of reading because once you learn to read, you will forever be free. There are a whole lot of things in this world of ours that we are yet to explore, which is why we will forever inspire curious minds.

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