by Elizabeth Goudge (1989)
A haunting love story set in the Channel Islands and New Zealand in the 19th century. William Ozanne, whose hypnotic, masculine presence made two sisters adore him with all their heart... The two beautiful daughters of a wealthy merchant of the Channel Islands fall in love with the same man, are very diferent. Marianne, the eldest sister is brilliant, passionate, and moody, by whom William was both fascinated and repelled... And Marguerite, the younger sister is pretty, dreamy and quietly, whom William adored. The sisters had both loved him for years. He has gone abroad to seek his fortune to New Zealand. Now they were waiting for him to return from his journeys and claim his bride. But drunkenly he addresses his proposal to the wrong sister. Though the book is fiction, and the characters not portraits, it is based on fact. A stunning tale of loss and self-sacrifice, it is truly one of the most memorable love stories of the last century.
Malcolm Macdonald
A romance between master and servant in class-conscious Victorian England. He is Peter, the master's son, she is Gemma, the new maid. They love each other, but family and servants will do their best to keep them apart.
Lawana Blackwell
*When Life Seemed Its Worst, Gresham Awaited* Julia Hollis' opulent life in Victorian London crashes to pieces when her husband passes away. Worse, she is told by his bankers that he gambled away their fortune. Now, the family's hope rests on The Larkspur, an old abandoned coaching inn in the quaint village of Gresham. Driven by dread and her desire to provide for her children, Julia decides to turn the dilapidated inn into a lodging house. But can she--who was accustomed to servants attending to every need--do what needs to be done and cope when boarders begin arriving? And then an eligible new vicar moves into town...
Patricia Cabot
Lady Caroline Linford is horrified to discover... her fiance, the Marquis of Winchilsea, in the arms of another woman. Unfortunately, Victorian society considers such masculine peccadilloes a trifle; canceling their imminent wedding would be unthinkable. But Caroline's wish is for the man she is to marry to desire only her... and she seeks lessons in the art of romance from the best teacher: London's most notorious rake. Braden Granville may be a famous lover... but he has no intention of taking part in Caroline's scheme--until he learns she has something he wants: the name of his own unfaithful fiancee's lover. As their passionate tutelage begins, sparks fly--and the lines between teacher and student fall away. Now there is just one last lesson to learn: on the subject of true love, the heart chooses its own unpredictable ways.
Joanna Trollope writing as Caroline Harvey
The stories of Charlotte who follows her passions from Victorian London to Kabul; her granddaughter Alexandra whose true spirit is revealed in a portrait; and her great-granddaughter Cara who struggles to "find the courage to survive wartorn 1940s England."--Jacket.