She is the downstairs maid; he is the Master's son...Forced to become a kitchen maid at Fortune Hall, Hetty Pearson strikes up an unlikely friendship with the younger son of the house, Richard.But Hetty is just a poor servant girl: what hope does she have of either winning Richard's heart or escaping his older brother's more base attentions?
A terrible choice between her sweetheart and her reputation...Orphaned from birth, Mary Trent has always dreamed of the day she can escape from poverty, and when she meets the dashing young doctor Tom Gallagher, it seems her prayers have been answered. Is a marriage of convenience the only thing that can save her?
Far above her in wealth and station, Elizabeth cannot marry him and she risks losing her nursing place if there is any hint of impropriety about her conduct. Torn between her hopeless love for Jack and her sister, must Elizabeth make an extreme sacrifice to reunite her family?
Lorinda is only a child when tragedy deprives her of her true family and, sent to live with her aunt in her boarding house, she grows up desperately craving affection.And although she finds friendship - and even love - in the boarding house, she finally sees a chance to escape her drab surroundings and unkind family.
Life is a long, tough struggle for Meg Maddison...Growing up caring for her brothers after the death of their mother, it is only her indomitable spirit that gets her through the hard times.But the return of a darkly menacing figure from her past threatens to destroy all she has fought for...
Forced to leave school at the age of fourteen, young Rose Sharpe's dreams of independence are ruined by her domineering father and constantly ailing mother. But just as Rose has almost given up hope, she realises she has a secret admirer of her own...
Torn between love and duty...After the birth of their son, Eliza naively hopes her husband Jack will put his gambling habit behind him and become more responsible. But then he loses their home and abandons her, leaving Eliza with no choice but to return to her parents' house. But can she sacrifice her reputation to protect her son?
A wealthy landlord’ s son, and a coal miner’ s daughter… Growing up in poverty, one of six siblings, Hannah Armstrong never thought she’ d know anything other than her little mining town. But then she falls for Timothy Durkin, a wealthy Oxford student… Following her heart, Hannah sacrifices everything she holds dear and follows her new husband to Oxford. But will her new life of luxury be everything she expected - or will she find that once a coal miner's daughter, always a coal miner's daughter...?
All she wants is a family of her own...Lottie is just three years old when her Mammy dies and she is sent to the workhouse. A childhood spent in poverty, skivvying for other people, leaves her with no prospects, no family... And when an opportunity arises at the local Chapel, Lottie seizes her chance.
Will her courage be enough to protect her family?Eleanor Saint spends as much time as she can helping in the community of her small mining town, even though her snobbish grandmother disapproves of her visiting the poor.
