Lizzie Kershaw is an independent spirit. At twelve, she loses her father and her happy family life ends as her mother grows to resent her. Then circumstances push Lizzie into an early marriage, where she finds her mother's petty cruelties replaced by her husband's frequent beatings.But she is a s...
Meg hasn't had a good start in life. Berated by her mum at every opportunity she runs off and marries an ex-boozer, though not long after moving away he starts drinking again which after a short period leaves her a motherless widow. She then loses her daughter and is distraught. Wandering the moo...
Maeve Corrigan, once a successful businesswoman and resolutely independent, is dying. Having no children of her own, she determines that she will bequeath her great wealth to one of several nephews or nieces, the offspring of her two estranged brothers. And so, she arranges to meet three of them:...
A new historical romance from a bestselling author When Captain Merrivale dies, his daughters Martha and Penelope are left almost penniless. They find employment as schoolteachers in the Lancashire mill-town of Tapton working for mill-owner Jonas Wright, charged with educating not only his own fo...
When Madge Carter goes back to her home town of Northby, she takes her daughter with her, but continues to live from immoral earning. Unfortunately, as Emmy grows up she catches the eye of Madge's protector, who tries to force her down the same path as her mother. Then a wealthy gentleman becomes...
Deborah and her mother live paupers' lives at the hands of her cruel uncle. One evening a darkly handsome stranger appears at their cottage with a bizarre demand. If Deborah promises to go with him, she will be made mistress of Marymoor.
When Sarah Mortonby's mother dies in 1735, Sarah has no alternative but to seek help from her mother's family, even though they disowned her for marrying Sarah's father. She is shocked to find herself the sole survivor and heir to her mother's old home. It's so dilapidated, she is urged to sell, ...
She didn’t like her temporary neighbour, especially after what her friend had told her about him, and tended to avoid him. ‘Yes?’ ‘Don’t try to visit my aunt again. Your visit upset her.’ ‘No, it didn’t. She was glad to see me.’ ‘I’m asking you very politely not to go to the hospital again.’ ‘I s...
‘Oops! Come on, Porgy! Let’s go and meet Amy.’ She waited for the old dog to haul himself to his feet and lumber off towards the car. As she matched her steps to his, she bent to pat his head. ‘I think I’d better cut down your food, old fellow. Yes, I know you enjoy my cooking, but I also know fo...
Emily was up by five o’clock, unable to stay in bed when there was so much to check. Chad turned over and growled at her when she asked if he was awake. She envied him his ability to sleep at will and to go back to sleep in the morning after she got up. With a fond look at the lump under the bedc...
It seemed to her from a distance like one of the Greek islands her father had read about, a place of sun and sand, blue water and even bluer sky. On the rocky promontory at the south-west extremity of the island stood the fortified town, Galle, with hills rising behind it.One of the young officer...
‘I got called to a sudden meeting.’‘Is everything all right?’‘I’m under orders, so I can’t tell you where I’m going or what I’ll be doing, I’m afraid. But you can write to me care of this address.’ He held out a piece of paper. ‘You will write, won’t you?’She saw him watching with a near smile as...
I was so thrilled when it was accepted for publication by a major Australian women’s magazine. I liked the main character so much, I wrote two other short stories about Emily later. It was inspired by going to a dance in a tiny country town the year after we came to Australia. I’d never been to a...
His lady typist ran screaming for help, but it was too late. He was quite dead. Everyone was shocked by this, because he was only sixty-four, but Mrs Tolson dealt firmly with any female member of staff who started to go into hysterics or used this as an excuse for neglecti...
In the kitchen Cook muttered over the stock she was preparing from a chicken carcass for the following day’s soup, while Ethel patted the gun in her pocket several times, to make sure it was there, ready. She felt comforted by its presence. Things were no better in the lon...
They masked the fact that her hair was a soft reddish brown, a colour she’d never quite liked because it was so different from her parents’ mousy hair. She didn’t know if it was the same as her birth parents’ hair. It must be – one of them, anyway. Did she get this strange reddish colour from her...
There, he ordered a bottle of red wine and sat in his room, sipping a glass and staring out at the village square. People came and went, but he saw none of them. His thoughts were still filled with the lovely Mrs Perriman.When Alfred came upstairs, to see if the Captain had any orders for him, an...
She got up, throwing on her clothes any old how, eager to go up on deck and see her new home. But her body betrayed her, rebelling at such haste. Clapping her hand to her mouth, she fled to the water closet. When she returned to the cabin, she found Miss Pershore sitting on the edge of the lower ...
The house felt empty without the girls, and he hadn’t enjoyed the fish and chips half as much as Mattie’s cooking. Too greasy. Gave you indigestion. He fumbled through the cupboard for the bicarbonate of soda, but it didn’t help him much. He slept badly, kept waking, thinking he heard the front d...
When she turned a rather suspicious glance in his direction, he wondered what had given her such a distrust of men. ‘I don't mean I want to buy time with you. I mean I want to rent two of your spare bedrooms for business purposes.’ He cocked his head on one side, his eyes steady on hers. ‘I can s...
‘I didn’t wake you, did I? You said you usually got up early. Oh, good. Would it be asking too much for you to come here and help me finish packing? I’m never going to be ready to move house tomorrow otherwise. Would you mind?’ ‘Of course not. I’ve already had my breakfast, so I can come straight...
Miss Bowers’ neat cottage stood in a terrace of similar dwellings, each with a small garden in front. No one had such a pretty garden as hers, whatever the time of year. He stopped briefly to admire it.As he raised his hand to knock on the door, it opened and she stood there, head on one side. Sh...
She’d not said anything before, had waited till she got her mother on her own before speaking. But it was even harder to begin than she’d expected. ‘I’ve, um, got something to tell you, Mam.’ ‘Oh?’ Her mother swung round, expression suddenly eager. ‘You’re not expecting again?’ Sorrow stabbed thr...
Sighing happily, she slipped her arms into her old dressing-gown and made her way down the stairs, finding Dot at work in the kitchen.‘Where’s the privy?’ She’d used a chamber pot the previous night, too tired to do more than fall into bed.‘There’s an indoor bathroom, miss. At the end of your cor...
One cold rainy day followed another. But eventually the days grew a little warmer, and as April replaced March and summer beckoned, people began to shed their extra scarves and shawls. Nell loved to take Sarah for walks in the shabby pram and teach her daughter new words. ...
As she was carrying Millie down the stairs, Kieran came out of his flat and waited for her to strap the baby into the buggy before holding the door open.‘Going for a walk?’‘Yes. It’s quite a nice day, isn’t it?’‘It is. Nearly March now. Spring is in the air.’Whistling cheerfully, something she’d ...