The Knave of Diamonds

In Short

Set among the English landed gentry and an American family of fierce loyalties, this Edwardian romance traces the turbulent redemption of Napoleon "Nap" Errol. Reckless, secretive, and bearing an erratic temper, Nap is devoted only to his crippled older brother, Lucas. When Nap falls obsessed with Lady Anne Carfax—the gentle wife of a brutal, abusive baronet—his pursuit sets off a chain of violent altercations, exile, and public scandal. Through Lucas’s serene moral strength and Anne’s patient grace, Nap’s dangerous impulses are gradually mastered, transforming a destructive passion into a mature, lasting devotion.

The Story

The story opens in rural England, where the local gentry revolves around fox hunts and social rivalries. Sir Giles Carfax, a man of explosive violence, rules his estate and his delicate wife, Anne, with tyrannical cruelty. When Anne’s horse returns home riderless after a hunt, she is rescued by Nap Errol, an enigmatic American living nearby with his mother, his younger brother Bertie, and his eldest brother Lucas. Lucas, a former invalid who lost the use of his legs saving a dog years prior, is the moral anchor of the Errol household and the one person capable of exerting authority over Nap.

Nap’s fascination with Anne quickly turns into an unyielding fixation. Ignoring social boundaries and Sir Giles’s mounting fury, Nap positions himself as Anne’s protector. During a winter outing, Sir Giles discovers the two together and, consumed by a jealous rage, attacks Nap with a heavy riding crop. The assault leaves Nap unconscious and severely beaten upon the snow. Soon after, Sir Giles’s mental state collapses entirely, and he is quietly committed to an asylum, leaving Anne isolated at the Manor to manage the estate alone.

Unrestrained by conventional morals, Nap attempts to force Anne’s affections, tricking her into an isolated journey to win her for himself. His predatory actions drive a wedge between him and his family. Recognizing that his brother’s wildness has crossed into madness, Lucas intervenes, using his quiet strength to shield Anne and ordering Nap out of the country. Defeated by Lucas’s moral authority, Nap vanishes to the American West and the Rockies, living in solitary exile to battle his erratic nature.

Meanwhile, local society moves on. Bertie courts and becomes engaged to Dot, a spirited local girl, while Anne leans heavily on Lucas for guidance and emotional support. Yet Lucas’s health steadily deteriorates; his strength flags without his brother, whom he views as a vitalizing force.

Nap eventually returns, subdued by his isolation but still haunted by his past actions. Upon his return, he faces hostility not only from local gossip but from Tawny Hudson, Lucas’s half-breed manservant, whose bitter hatred and jealousy of Nap escalate into violent madness. Hudson attempts to sabotage Nap’s presence and later stalks him with murderous intent in the dark estate gardens. Anne discovers the threat and intervenes just in time to prevent a fatal ambush.

When Sir Giles dies while in care, the obstacle between Anne and Nap is removed, though Anne remains hesitant. Through Lucas’s selfless mediation and a harrowing surgical ordeal that restores Lucas’s health, Nap proves his genuine transformation. Realizing that Nap has finally conquered his destructive temper, Anne forgives his past transgressions and accepts his hand. Returning to the very inn where their painful history began, they find peace together.

How It Unfolds

The missing horse After a fox hunt near Baronmead, Sir Giles Carfax’s horse returns to the Manor empty-saddled and bloodied, exposing the violent rift in the Carfax household and bringing the Errol family into their private crisis.

The encounter in the snow Sir Giles catches Nap Errol with Anne on the snowy hills and brutally attacks him with a loaded crop, an act of sheer madness that leads to Sir Giles’s own mental breakdown and institutionalization.

The sinister plot Driven by an obsessive desire, Nap tricks Anne into an isolated excursion, forcing a confrontation with Lucas, who uses his spiritual authority to thwart Nap and banish him to America.

Exile in the Rockies Nap retreats to the American wilderness to conquer the wild, reckless streak in his blood, while back in England, Lucas's health wanes and Bertie secures his engagement to Dot.

The shadow in the garden Returning to England to assist his ailing brother, Nap becomes the target of Tawny Hudson, a jealous servant who lurks in the dark gardens waiting to murder him until Anne intervenes.

The redeeming vow Following Sir Giles’s death and Lucas’s recovery, Anne and Nap reconcile their past, standing together in the twilight at Bramhurst as Nap seeks—and receives—her complete forgiveness and trust.

The People

• Napoleon "Nap" Errol: A fiery, impulsive American with a reputation for dangerous unpredictable fits. He seeks total possession of Anne, but his fierce loyalty to his brother Lucas serves as his sole moral anchor, eventually driving him toward self-mastery.
• Lady Anne Carfax: The long-suffering wife of a tyrannical baronet. Gentle, enduring, and resilient, she bears her husband’s cruelty with dignity and must navigate Nap’s aggressive advances before recognizing the genuine redemption beneath his rough exterior.
• Lucas Errol: The eldest Errol brother, crippled years earlier in a heroic rescue. Despite his physical weakness, his serene authority, absolute selflessness, and spiritual force dominate everyone around him, particularly Nap.
• Sir Giles Carfax: A quick-tempered, violent country baronet whose fierce jealousy and unreasoning rages push him over the brink of sanity into total madness.
• Bertie Errol: The youngest brother, straightforward, loyal, and protective, who courts the lively Dot while fiercely defending Lady Carfax from Nap’s interference.
• Dot: A lighthearted, observant local young woman who brings humor to the village gossip and eventually marries Bertie.
• Tawny Hudson: Lucas’s dark, intensely jealous valet, whose bitter hatred of Nap turns into murderous mania.

In Its Own Voice

"He was the finest chap in the world, all true gold and not a grain of dross. That's how it is we all knock under to him. Even Nap does that, though he doesn't care a tinker's curse for anyone else on this muddy little planet."

Bertie explains to Dot why the entire family defers to his disabled older brother, Lucas.

"There is a powerful streak of red in Nap Errol's blood, or I am much mistaken... He's never to be trusted. It's an ineradicable taint."

An American acquaintance warns Lady Carfax about Nap’s wild, uncontrollable nature.

"I chose it chiefly because I knew you hated it... I knew you hated the place, that you only came to it for my sake. And I--I made you come because I wanted you to love it."

Nap confesses his motives to Anne on the night of their wedding at the Bramhurst inn.

What It's Really About

Beneath its melodrama, the novel explores the struggle between unchecked passion and moral discipline. Nap Errol represents raw, uncivilized instinct—a nature that threatens to destroy everything it touches unless governed by a higher principle. The story contrasts Sir Giles’s unbridled madness, which leads to total ruin, with Nap’s gradual submission to conscience. Lucas serves as the novel's spiritual center, demonstrating that true power resides not in physical dominance or aggressive pride, but in self-sacrifice, endurance, and quiet authority. Ultimately, the book argues that even the most damaged, dark nature can be reclaimed through patient love and rigorous self-denial.

Why Read It Today

Readers of Edwardian romantic fiction will appreciate this novel's dramatic tension, heightened emotional stakes, and vivid character dynamics. Ethel M. Dell constructs a compelling narrative around the classic trope of the dangerous bad boy transformed by a steady, good woman—a formula that remains popular across modern romance genres.

The prose reflects its era: dramatic, unabashedly sentimental, and structured around intense physical and emotional confrontations. Modern readers should be prepared for period attitudes regarding social status, male dominance, and dated phrasing regarding ethnic background (such as references to Nap's "streak of red" or wild blood). The pacing alternates between quiet domestic scenes in the English countryside and high-stakes physical violence, hunting accidents, and sudden exiles.

What lingers after reading is the unusual strength of the brotherhood dynamic. The central tension rests not merely between the hero and heroine, but in the powerful, complex bond between the invalid Lucas and his wild brother Nap, giving the melodramatic plot a genuinely moving emotional core.