Chapter 1

Spring, 1855

Charlotte Brighley was the talk of the village and neighbouring ones as well, a constant topic of admiration but also slight intimidation. An average-looking girl, although the mothers always commented on the beauty of her cheekbones and doe-shaped eyes, on first glance she would not be considered anything special. That is, until she opened her mouth. Her skilful use of language, charisma and her overall vivid personality made her popular in society and therefore became a substitute to her general appearance. She may not have had the blond curls or demure smile that men often sought in a lady, but she, at least, was not "stiff as a plank of wood" like Lady Grace Treadwood. Yet she was often criticised, secretly, for being highly opinionated, at times narrow-minded, and lacking in the imagination and observation needed to see past the surface of people's appearances. Not that she actually had much interest in most people. Indeed, there were few in her acquaintance who she cared for deeply enough to understand their character, and Lady Grace Treadwood was not one of them. Some viewed her as a haughty know-it-all, and others as an intelligent if not slightly naive young lady.

As you have probably gathered, she was from an upper class family, the highest rank in the village by a milestone, and she lived in her private estate on the outskirts of the village of Harllington with her mother and sister. Her father had died when she was still at a very young age and as a consequence, did not remember him. Her nanny however, often commented on how similar they looked, although everybody in the village agreed that it was the younger sister that bore the most resemblance, and that Charlotte was more that of her mother. Charlotte's sister was, in contrast to her sister, a lot friendlier, warm and often went into town to converse with both high and low society. Perhaps slightly ditsy and weak-minded, she nevertheless was usually in high-spirits and had the lovely power to bring a smile to anyone's face, even in short acquaintance. Lucy was the prettier of the two, and unlike her sister and mother who's hair was of a very dark brown colour that almost verged on black, she had bright, summery blond hair.

The mother was a somewhat secretive woman who was rarely seen in society. Since losing her husband, it was rumoured that she had been in mourning for twelve years, and that the following two years afterwards she had never left the estate. This was of course only ridiculous rumours, for she had been out in society but only on very rare occasions. Within the family however, there was distance. Charlotte's mother had never been a lover of children and as such, left most of the children's upbringing to the nanny. The nanny was one Sarah Redding, a wonderful women whom the daughters owed almost everything to. The nanny at first had felt that the two daughters, Charlotte in particular, were simply spoilt, nagging and proud rich heiresses who cared for no one. However her opinion soon changed, and realising that their childhood was tainted with lack of affection, she pitied them and tried to bring as much paternal love and warmth into their lives. Yet Sarah still worried after Charlotte. She had grown into a beautiful young lady of eighteen, but she still kept a slight distance from acquaintances, which others could not perceive due to her strong outside appearance. But Sarah knew better. Charlotte was not confident like her sister, nor did she have the courage to actually say what she thought, although concerning her prejudices towards the lower classes was something that everyone was perfectly aware of. Alas, Sarah feared that she could do no more for girl and knew that she would one day be met by hard life lessons and experiences which she was unlikely to forget. Whether she would learn from them, or turn a blind eye like her mother, was something that nobody, not even her sister, could daresay predict.