The Affairs of Martha

The Sommerfields’ young maid who secretly married Jeff before he left for an Eskimo expedition. Ambitious and emotionally torn, she hides her past and pursues education to ascend socially. Her attractiveness and intelligence make her a focal point for both affection and suspicion as tell-all rumors swirl around the neighborhood.

Jeff returns from his studies with plans and a fiancée in Sylvia, only to find Martha still in his life. He wrestles with loyalty to Martha and his duty to social expectations, ultimately being drawn to true love. His actions drive the romantic complications and test the family’s unity.

A mathematician and Jeff’s fiancée, she embodies modern aspiration and ambition. Her presence heightens Martha’s insecurity and amplifies the love-triangle tension. She represents rational progress clashing with old-world social codes.

Martha’s publisher and a catalyst for drama, he plants stories to boost interest in the book and then confronts the truth about Martha’s authorship. His manipulation accelerates the unraveling of secrets and pushes characters toward decisive actions.

Father of Jeff and Miranda, a physician who embodies the opinionated, respectable pillar of the community. He navigates the social fallout of gossip while trying to preserve his family’s reputation.

The matriarch who keeps the household’s standards and a keen eye on appearances. She reacts to rumors with a protective instinct toward the family’s status and comfort in social circles.

The Sommerfields’ teenage daughter who feels the social currents in the household. Her perspective adds a youthful strand to the family’s dynamic and the gossip-charged atmosphere.

A local Casanova and handyman whose flirtatious nature places him in the orbit of Martha’s complicated romantic life. His presence adds a lighter, roguish counterpoint to the main drama.