The Governess's Daughter

In the summer of 1911, Hannah Calder arrives from New York to take up the post of Governess to Annabel and Florence Hailsham, daughters of Sir Jacob and Lady Elizabeth Hailsham at Sefton Hall in the heart of the English countryside.
Annabel is thirteen and until now has had the run of the fine Georgian country house and its thousand-acre estate, enjoying the peace and solitude of its isolation to pursue her passions of the flora and fauna abounding in surroundings that have remained unchanged for centuries.
However, she is surprised to find that Mrs Calder comes with a daughter of her own age, the pretty and mischievous Eloise who not only shares her lessons in the schoolroom, but also proceeds to disrupt her idyllic life with her insatiable curiosity and appropriation of the estate as her own personal adventure playground.
At first, Annabel resents this incursion and refuses to join in with Eloise’s hijinks. But gradually she comes to realise that the girl she first saw as an overconfident, impudent intruder is beginning to become playful, intelligent and charming and Annabel is in danger of actually liking her. That, of course, would be intolerable and she tries to resist her charm, but as they grow through adolescence together, Annabel cannot help but become closer to the American and their friendship develops into a strong, caring and protective one.
As they reach adulthood, without her realising, Annabel becomes a shapely and attractive girl and she begins to see changes in their relationship – she feels goose-bumps when they are close and now senses Eloise's eyes drinking in her pretty face and womanly body.
And oh my word... when the American admits to accidently coming upon her in the bathroom, remaining concealed and unable to stop herself from watching her friend in the bath, Annabel is shocked – even appalled. Well, this is now 1914 and intimacy between women is dangerous.
Annabel is forced to consider her own feelings towards Eloise... acknowledging she is not disgusted and is even attracted. After all, from a pretty, confident adolescent, Eloise is becoming a beautiful young lady.
The Governess’s Daughter is a passionate Edwardian romance from the era of Downton Abbey that tells the story of two young women who, through each other, find where their passions truly lie and contains very intimate descriptions of their love.