Between the 1780s and the end of the nineteenth century, an army of sad women took up residence in other people's homes, part and yet not part of the family, not servants, yet not equals. To become a governess, observed Jane Austen in Emma, was to "retire from all the pleasures of life, of rational intercourse, equal society, peace and hope, to penance and mortification for ever." However, in an ironic paradox, the governess, so marginal to her society, was central to its fiction-partly because governessing was the fate of some exceptionally talented women who later wrote novels based on their experiences. But personal experience was only one source, and writers like Wilkie Collins, William Makepeace Thackeray, Henry James, and Jane Austen all recognized that the governess's solitary figure, adrift in the world, offered more novelistic scope than did the constrained and respectable wife. Ruth Brandon weaves literary and social history with details from the lives of actual governesses, drawn from their letters and journals, to craft a rare portrait of real women whose lives were in stark contrast to the romantic tales of their fictional counterparts. Governess will resonate with the many fans of Jane Austen and the Brontës, whose novels continue to inspire films and books, as well as fans of The Nanny Diaries and other books that explore the longstanding tension between mothers and the women they hire to raise their children.

A ruined governess And a marriage born of scandal! When penniless Linnet Osborne takes a job as a governess, she’s shocked to discover her new employer is none other than Christian, Lord Blakely! They’d once shared a passionate embrace that almost forced them to marry. Christian is no less compelling now—so much so that Linnet is tempted to explore beyond those fleeting kisses… But that would mean they’d have to wed! “Helen did an excellent job with this ... Just the right mix of mystery and intrigue” — Goodreads on A Vow for an Heiress

The figure of the governess is very familiar from nineteenth-century literature. Much less is known about the governess in reality. This book is the first rounded exploration of what the life of the home schoolroom was actually like. Drawing on original diaries and a variety of previously undiscovered sources, Kathryn Hughes describes why the period 1840-80 was the classic age of governesses. She examines their numbers, recruitment, teaching methods, social position and prospects. The governess provides a key to the central Victorian concept of the lady. Her education consisted of a series of accomplishments designed to attract a husband able to keep her in the style to which she had become accustomed from birth. Becoming a governess was the only acceptable way of earning money open to a lady whose family could not support her in leisure. Being paid to educate another woman's children set in play a series of social and emotional tensions. The governess was a surrogate mother, who was herself childless, a young woman whose marriage prospects were restricted, and a family member who was sometimes mistaken for a servant.

MYRNA McBRIDE IS HEADING TOWARD HER FUTURE When her train derails in Hillsdale, Michigan, a wealthy stranger offers her shelter—and a position in his household. Grateful yet wary of the mysterious man, Myrna must guard her secrets—and her heart. Returning home upon his brother's death, Dalton Freed is now heir to a grand estate and guardian to his niece. Dalton desperately needs Myrna's help. But even as he looks forward to seeing the beautiful governess each day, he suspects she's keeping secrets. Can she ever earn Dalton's trust and bring light and laughter back to his life?

In the shadows of Thornfield Hall, secrets have a way of unraveling even the most carefully crafted disguises... Lady Alexandra has perfected the art of invisibility, forced to trade her glittering world of privilege for a life in the shadows. Now serving as a governess under an assumed name, she never expected to find refuge in the home of the notorious Duke of Ravencroft - a darkly handsome widower whose penetrating gaze threatens to see through her carefully constructed facade. As she bonds with his three grief-stricken children, Alexandra discovers that Thornfield Hall harbors dangerous mysteries of its own. Each midnight encounter with the brooding Duke brings her closer to surrendering to their forbidden attraction, even as mysterious threats begin to circle ever closer. But when her past and his collide in a web of dangerous deceptions, Alexandra must choose: keep running from the darkness of her past, or stand and fight for a love that could either save or destroy them both. Set against the sumptuous backdrop of Victorian high society, "A Governess’s Secret" is a masterfully crafted tale of passion, intrigue, and redemption that will hold readers spellbound until the very last page. If you’re a fan of books by Lisa Kleypas, Sarah MacLean, and Evie Dunmore, this deliciously seductive tale of disguised identity and dangerous romance will leave you breathless for more.

Fortune smiles on a former lady turned French governess when she reunites with an ambitious young man from her past in this Victorian romance. When Lady Alexandra Mannerly last saw Malcolm Gordston, he was a poor crofter’s son—someone a sheltered duke’s daughter would never be allowed to marry. But after scandal rocked her arrogant family, Alex’s prospects changed dramatically. Now she leads a quiet life as a governess in Paris—where she meets Malcolm again! Though Alex is embarrassed by her predicament, Malcolm is delighted to see her again. The humble young man has grown up to be a wealthy and powerful department store owner. All he lacks is the woman he never forgot . . .

A sensual Victorian gothic romance set in Scotland She’s running from the past… Am I the key to her future? As a private investigator to the rich, it’s my job to be impartial, but returning to moody Edinburgh—the city where I made my name—to locate Marianne Crawford unsettles me. And when I meet the beguiling governess in question, I’m inexplicably drawn to her… Marianne Crawford is a survivor. She’s lived through experiences designed to destroy her. But I’m here to reveal her true identity, not to fall under her spell. I’ve never been afraid of secrets, but once I uncover this one, I’m afraid I won’t be able to walk away… From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past.

Prim and professional But with a forbidden yearningFor governess Viola Yelverton, the only man who’s stirred in her a passionate desire is her rakish employer, Sir Harry Marbeck! Maintaining a cool detachment is easy in the schoolroom—but when one of his wards gets sick, a bedside vigil reveals a warmer side to Harry. With the passion now blazing, has Viola just taken the biggest gamble of her life—one where she could lose her secret love and her livelihood? From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past. The Yelverton Marriages Book 1: Marrying for Love or Money? Book 2: Unsuitable Bride for a Viscount Book 3: The Governess’s Secret Longing

The beauty who tamed the beast… New governess Grace Bertram will do anything to get to know her young daughter, Clara. Even if it means working for Clara’s guardian, the reclusive and scarred Nathaniel, Marquess of Ravenwell! Nathaniel believes no woman could ever love a monster like him, until Grace seems to look past his scars to the man beneath… But when he discovers Grace is Clara’s mother, Nathaniel questions his place in this torn-apart family. Could there be a Christmas happy-ever-after for this beauty and the beast?

A prim and proper governess... Locked in with a duke! Believing her grandmother is gravely ill, governess Miranda Manwaring takes leave to care for her, but instead finds herself captive in a rundown cottage with a powerful stranger. Shock number one—the man is the eligible Duke of Chalgrove. Shock number two—their captor is Miranda’s eccentric grandmother, looking to guide Miranda to a titled husband! Miranda refuses to trick him into marriage, but her grandmother’s meddling can’t possibly work…can it? “What I love about Ms Tyner’s work [is that] she takes what is a very basic trope and storyline and gives it a twist and it ends up being fresh and new… A lovely and original romance … Imaginative and complex.” —Chicks, Rogues and Scandals on To Win a Wallflower “This is a wonderfully, entertaining and original story… This is definitely a page-turner.” —Chicks, Rogues and Scandals on Saying I Do to the Scoundrel