Damp Legacy — Trevor Sproston

The year is 1918; an underground explosion competes with the First World War to deprive a village mining community of its male population.
For years to come, skepticism would thrive upon one question: was the explosion pure accident or a result of the owners negligence to provide adequate safety measures? Moreover, would anyone ever learn the truth?
While wives and villagers waited for news, everyone condemned their time-honored adversaries, the wealthy mine owners, who, long before the truth for such a catastrophe could be identified, these wealthy owners, aided by the most powerful secret organization in the land, took steps to avoid any blame and responsibility falling upon them.
In so doing, ruthless businessman Henry Cotes discovers evidence his late brother-in-law and former partner led a double life for many years, being romantically involved with a woman other than his wife. Seeking her out, Henry realizes their love for each other had been deep and indisputable. Moreover, meeting with her, and later with his sister, he discovered to his horror that he must revise his thinking regarding females. They were not, as his gender specific doctrine taught, merely subservient to the male, but a resourceful, manipulative driving force, and always had been.
Centuries of class distinction beginning to crumble, love now appeared able to cross the great social divide. With his newfound discernment, Henry mellows and attempts to encourage an ill-fated romance between star-crossed young lovers of differing social status. To help him with this delicate task, he enlists the aid of his daughter, the feisty Antoinette, who by her self-determination, becomes a role model, encouraging other young women to take a more assertive, dominant role in life.