When Tess D'urbeyfield is driven by family poverty to claim kinship with the wealthy D'Urbervilles, meeting her 'cousin' Alec proves to be her downfall. Angel Clare, seems to offer her love, but Tess must choose whether to reveal her past or remain silent in the hope of a peaceful future. This is one of the most poetic of Hardy's novels.When Tess D'urbeyfield is driven by family poverty to claim kinship with the wealthy D'Urbervilles, meeting her 'cousin' Alec proves to be her downfall. Angel Clare, seems to offer her love, but Tess must choose whether to reveal her past or remain silent in the hope of a peaceful future. This is one of the most poetic of Hardy's novels.