Sophie and the Sibyl by Patricia Duncker

Out of his depth, Max finds himself precariously balanced between Sophie and the Sibyl. Both women have Max in thrall - one with her youth and passion, the other with her wisdom and fierce intelligence. Mischievous, wilful and daring, Sophie gambles recklessly and rides horses like a man. But Sophie proves to be nothing like the vision of angelic domesticity Max was expecting. At first, Max is lured by Sophie's beauty and his affectionate memories of their shared childhood. Yet Wolfgang has an ulterior motive: for his brother to consider Sophie von Hahn, daughter of a wealthy family friend, as a potential wife. As enthralling and intelligent as her books, she soon has Max bewitched. When Max's bad habits get out of hand, Wolfgang sends him to the Spa town of Homburg, to dance attendance upon a celebrity author - the enigmatic Sibyl, also known as George Eliot. Clever, irresponsible Max is as fond of gambling and brothels as the older, wiser, Wolfgang is of making a profit. The Duncker brothers, Max and Wolfgang, own a thriving publishing business in the city. Yet Wolfgang has an ulterior motive: for his.

Sophie and the Sibyl by Patricia Duncker