She knew now, with a sense of deep tranquil certainty, that terror and injury could not spring from love of this kind, no matter what Nurse said. But she could not put all this into words. 

Set against the vast garden and private coastline of a beautiful country house, three domestic servants awaken to the possibilities of life and love in this rediscovered classic. There’s the young orphan Lottie, employed as a nursemaid to the wealthy Kellaway children and terrified by the world of men; the scullery maid Maggie, 19, and unafraid of seeking out pleasure where it is offered to her; and Hessie Price the older governess to a local clerical family whose worldview shatters when her younger sister becomes engaged. As each woman tries to navigate their physical desires alongside social propriety, the currency of beauty and youth alongside the toll of domestic work and poverty, attractions spring forth against the bloom of flowers and the crash of waves. 

Publication date: 27/03/2025

Author: Katherine Dunning

Brand: British Library Publishing

Number of Pages: 272

Binding: Paperback

Dimensions: 190 x 130 mm