Lord Kittredge returns from the Napoleonic Wars to find his inheritance in ruins and his family near bankruptcy. Unwillingly, he marries the daughter of a wealthy merchant to recoup the family fortunes. Cassie, his new bride, hopes he can come to love her since she fell in love with him at first sight.
Severity reflects intensity, not value — “central theme” means a warning is a core part of the book, not that the book is bad.