Download or read book Lady s Maid written by Margaret Forster and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2012-08-22 with total page 687 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Fascinating . . . The reader is treated to a revealing account of the passionate romance between Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning through the eyes of an intimate observer.”—Booklist Young and timid but full of sturdy good sense and awakening sophistication, Lily Wilson arrives in London in 1844, becoming a lady’s maid to the fragile, housebound Elizabeth Barrett. Lily is quickly drawn to her mistress’ s gaiety and sharp intelligence, the power of her poetry, and her deep emotional need. It is a strange intimacy that will last sixteen years. It is Lily who smuggles Miss Barrett out of the gloomy Wimpole Street house, witnesses her secret wedding to Robert Browning in an empty church, and flees with them to threadbare lodgings and the heat, light, and colors of Italy. As housekeeper, nursemaid, companion, and confidante, Lily is with Elizabeth in every crisis–birth, bereavement, travel, literary triumph. As her devotion turns almost to obsession, Lily forgets her own fleeting loneliness. But when Lily’s own affairs take a dramatic turn, she comes to expect the loyalty from Elizabeth that she herself has always given. Praise for Lady's Maid “[A] wonderful novel . . . fully imagined and persuasive fiction.”—The New York Times Book Review “Absorbing . . . heartbreaking . . . grips the reader's imagination on every page . . . [Margaret] Forster paints a vivid picture of class, station, hypocrisy and survival in Victorian society.”—San Francisco Chronicle “Extremely readable . . . The author's sense of the nineteenth century seems innate.”—The New Yorker “Highly recommended . . . an engrossing novel of the colorful Browning ménage.”—Library Journal “Delightful . . . entertaining.”—Vogue

Download or read book The Lady s Maid written by Katherine Mansfield and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2014-08-12 with total page 13 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fiercely dependent on her identity as a lady’s maid, a woman relates her experiences and ambitions, and the paths that her vocation has taken her down in this dramatic monologue. HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.

Download or read book The Lady s Maid s Bell written by Edith Wharton and published by Createspace Independent Pub. This book was released on 2013-01-24 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: IT was the autumn after I had the typhoid. I'd been three months in hospital, and when I came out I looked so weak and tottery that the two or three ladies I applied to were afraid to engage me. Most of my money was gone, and after I'd boarded for two months, hanging about the employment-agencies, and answering any advertisement that looked any way respectable, I pretty nearly lost heart, for fretting hadn't made me fatter, and I didn't see why my luck should ever turn. It did though—or I thought so at the time. A Mrs. Railton, a friend of the lady that first brought me out to the States, met me one day and stopped to speak to me: she was one that had always a friendly way with her. She asked me what ailed me to look so white, and when I told her, "Why, Hartley," says she, "I believe I've got the very place for you. Come in to-morrow and we'll talk about it."

Download or read book Her Most Remarkable Performance written by Camille Langtry and published by . This book was released on 2017-03-12 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lady Georgina's fascination with the life of the working classes leads her down a path of no return as she sinks deeper and deeper into her pretend persona of a lady's maid. What starts out as an enticing fantasy for the bored and spoiled Victorian-era heiress and an aspiring actress she hires for the game, slowly evolves into something far bigger as, step by step, she surrenders her status, her wealth and even her family name to live the life she was destined to live - that of a simple servant girl. This dark tale of social downgrade is set in 1880s London, grimy Manchester, and New York when cultural and social differences between a lady and her maids were as rigid as the former's corsets and as regulated as the latter's black-and-white uniforms."A young maidservant, dressed in a black long-sleeved dress with white cuffs and a collar, a large apron tied around her waist, entered the room. It took Evelyn a few seconds to realise that the servant girl in front of her was Lady Georgina Ashburton. The contrast with the rich heiress that she just spoke to a few minutes ago was too great! The only giveaway was Georgina's hairdo, which was far too elaborate for a simple maid, but her head was now partially covered by a snowy cap, contributing to her overall appearance as a humble servant, awaiting her demanding mistress's orders.Georgina made a step forward and curtseyed, looking at Evelyn expectantly."Did Madame ring?" she said, her voice trembling just a bit.Evelyn moved toward Georgina - the irony of the fact that a combination of her natural tallness and the high heels she was now wearing forced her to look down on her "maid" did not escape her - and slowly walked around her, examining the black-and- white uniform. Did she have it made for herself or just took it from one of the maids that quit, she wondered. Most certainly the latter.Either way, she could now completely understand why Sarah found it so difficult not to chuckle when playing this game - the maid's dress was clearly made for a much bigger girl and Lady Georgina looked quite comical in it, especially considering her somewhat scared facial expression."You would need a better uniform. This one would do for now, but if you want to continue serving me in this house, you should consider getting the one that fits you well. I will not tolerate untidy appearance,'' Evelyn said matter-of-factly, as if lecturing Georgina on how she should be dressed was the most natural thing in the world. "I know a good store just off Bond Street. They sell the most exquisite maid's dresses, caps and aprons. They are not cheap, but you'd thank me later - they are top quality and would last for 10 years.""Thank you, Miss", said Georgina, who wasn't expecting her guest to take on the role of a demanding and contentious mistress so quickly. Clearly, Evelyn did not really expect her to get a new uniform and that was just part of the game? "That's settled then, I will book you for a fitting. All will be deducted from your pay, of course. Now, draw a bath for me," said Evelyn, turned her back to Georgina, sat down by the vanity and began studying her flawless expression with great interest.Georgina wanted to protest - obviously she was not planning to go to a shop to try on maid uniforms and Evelyn was clearly overplaying her strict mistress act - but she had to admire her guest's apparent skill as an actress as well as her ingenuity. Truth be told, the maid's dress she had on was well-worn and totally out of size, but she always thought it was more than adequate for the purposes of the game. There was nothing in the script about a new uniform so Evelyn came up with the idea herself! And, unlike Sarah, she sounded so natural, just like an upper class mistress issuing orders to her maid. Georgina decided to play along, she could always stop the game if it went too far. But for now Evelyn was merely doing her best to portray the character she was commissioned to play."

Download or read book The Lady s Maid written by Susan Page Davis and published by Thorndike Press Large Print. This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Davis spins a tale in which readers will hit the trail with a faithful maid determined to protect her mistress from ruffians and ne'er-do-wells in the Wild West. Will maid meet her match?

Download or read book A Sinister Service written by Alyssa Maxwell and published by Kensington Books. This book was released on 2021-01-26 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A trip to Staffordshire for Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid, Eva Huntford, leads to murder in a famed pottery works . . . Following the devastation of the Great War, England's noble class takes comfort in honoring tradition. To celebrate their grandparents' wedding anniversary, Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her siblings travel to Staffordshire to commission a china service bearing the Wroxly coat of arms from the venerated Crown Lily Potteries, a favorite of Queen Mary. The two leading designers at the illustrious china manufacturer offer competing patterns. But when one of them is found dead—his body crushed in a grinding pan and his design pattern book missing—his rival is immediately suspected. The police are also suspicious of the dead designer's resentful young son, a schoolmate of Phoebe's fifteen-year-old brother Fox. When Fox gets involved to help his friend, Phoebe begins to investigate the rival artist. At the same time, Eva is enlisted to go undercover at the works so she can gain the confidence of the female employees, who are only allowed to paint, not design, which may have led to a grudge against the victim. Pursuing a killer who has no compunction about using a kiln as a coffin, Phoebe and Eva take their lives into their hands to discover the shattering truth . . .

Download or read book The Lady s Maid written by Dilly Court and published by Random House. This book was released on 2012-06-21 with total page 484 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the quiet of a warm summer's evening, two young mothers are forced to give up their babies. As the years have passed, Kate has grown up knowing only poverty and servitude, whilst Josie's world is one of privilege and luxury. Despite the differences in their circumstances, Kate and Josie have been friends since childhood. But their past binds them together in ways they must never know. Until a chance meeting forces Kate and Josie to confront the truth of that night nearly twenty years before - a truth that turns both worlds upside down and threatens to destroy their friendship forever. . .

Download or read book The Lady s Maid written by Rosina Harrison and published by Random House. This book was released on 2011 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In 1929, Yorkshire lass Rosina Harrison became personal maid to Lady Astor: the first female Member of Parliament to take her seat and wife of one of England's wealthiest lords. Lady Astor was brilliant yet tempestuous, but outspoken Rose gave as good as she got. For 35 years, the battle of wills and wits raged between the two women, until an unlikely friendship began to emerge. "The Lady's Maid" is a captivating insight into the great wealth 'upstairs' but also the endless work 'downstairs', but it is Rose's unique relationship with Lady Astor that makes this book a truly enticing read"--Publisher's description.

Download or read book Diary of a Lady s Maid written by Emma Southgate and published by Melbourne University Publish. This book was released on 1995 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A very busy day. Lord and Lady Carrington arrived from England. Miss Harbord, 3 Gentlemen in Suite, 3 children, two nurses, two maids, 2 valets. Every room occupied. 47 to dinner-in State dining room-and 500 in the evening. All went off capitally. We got to bed soon after 2 a.m.' The reliable, hard-working and loyal Emma Southgate began her diary when she journeyed across rough seas and under stormy skies from England to Australia in 1884. She travelled as lady's maid to Lady Loch, wife of the newly appointed Governor of Victoria. When they arrived in Melbourne and took up residence in the magnificent Government House, Emma had the presence of mind to continue her record of daily life. The legacy of her diligence is published here for the first time. Through Emma's words we can relive the halcyon days of colonial times: sumptuous parties in elegant ballrooms and receptions on rolling lawns; stylish travel through the colonies of Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and South Australia; holidays in a grand home at Mount Macedon; important international visitors; and the social whirl that accompanied occasions such as Melbourne Cup week. These events are charmingly described in Emma's diaries from a behind-the-scenes point of view-the weariness of having to serve tea to thousands of 'ladies and gentlemen', visits to the poor and excursions to the beach, illnesses among staff and the kindnesses of her employers. Emma's authentic evocation of her life sparkles. Unpretentious and forthright, Emma's words captivate the reader as they bring to life the people, the places and the times. Besides Emma's accounts, Helen Vellacott has placed the newspaper reports of the day that show the official view-often quite different from Emma's observations. In this way, and with intriguing additional comment and information, Diary of a Lady's Maid gives us an insight into early Australian society.

Download or read book What the Lady s Maid Knew written by E. E. Holmes and published by . This book was released on 2020-11-04 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: London is a powder keg... and Eliza Braxton is the match. Imagine a London where magic is real... real, but feared. This is Eliza Braxton's London, and she has always accepted her place in it gladly. As one of the Riftborn, her magic has relegated her to the servant class, where she dutifully serves as the lady's maid in one of the most powerful households in the country. There, she uses her remarkable powers of persuasion to keep Elder Hallewell's rebellious daughter in the path to an arranged match of power and prosperity. Eliza has never questioned her loyalty... until now. Currents of discontent are roiling beneath the city's surface, and Eliza's comfortable existence is about to be caught up in the tide. A resistance is building, a resistance that covets Eliza's talents above all else. But can Eliza betray everything she's ever known for things she never dared to dream? What the Lady's Maid Knew is the first thrilling installment in E.E. Holmes' new series The Riftmagic Saga.

Download or read book A Pinch of Poison written by Alyssa Maxwell and published by Kensington Publishing Corporation. This book was released on 2017-11-28 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the headmistress, Miss Finch, of the Haverleigh School for Young Ladies is poisoned it's up to Lady Phoebe and Eva to stop the killer before they strike again.

Download or read book Maid Marian written by Elsa Watson and published by Crown. This book was released on 2004-04-13 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An irresistible reimagining of the Robin Hood legend, Maid Marian brings to life the rollicking--and romantic--world of the Middle Ages. An orphan and heiress to a large country estate, Marian Fitzwater is wed at the age of five to an equally young nobleman, Lord Hugh of Sencaster, a union that joins her inheritance to his, vastly enriching his family. But when she is seventeen, Lord Hugh, whom she hasn't seen in years, dies under mysterious circumstances, leaving her alone again--a widow who has never been a bride. Like all unmarried young ladies of fortune, she is made a ward of Richard the Lionheart, England's warrior king. With King Richard away on Crusade, Marian's fate lies in the hands of his mother, the formidable Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, who will arrange her second marriage. The lucky bridegroom will get Marian's lands and, in return, pledge his loyalty--and silver--to King Richard. Marian herself is irrelevant and she knows it. Determined not to be sold into another sham marriage, she seeks out the one man whose spies can help uncover the queen's plans--Robin Hood, the notorious Saxon outlaw of Sherwood Forest. Marian is surprised to discover that the famed "prince of thieves" is not only helpful but handsome, likable and sympathetic to her plight. Following her plan, Robin’s men intercept a letter from Queen Eleanor, from which Marian learns, to her horror, that she is to marry her late husband’s brother. His family's history of mysterious deaths, puts Marian in grave danger. Once married, her land becomes theirs and they can easily dispose of her--a fate she may have only narrowly escaped already. On the eve of her wedding, Robin Hood spirits Marian back to the forest. Queen Eleanor believes her to be dead, allowing Marian to begin a new life with Robin Hood's outlaws, who pledge to help her regain her fortune and expose the treachery of her enemies.

Download or read book A Dialogue Between a Married Lady and a Maid written by and published by . This book was released on 1740 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Maid written by Stephanie Land and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2019-01-22 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A single mother's personal, unflinching look at America's class divide (Barack Obama)," this New York Times bestselling memoir is the inspiration for the Netflix limited series, hailed by Rolling Stone as "a great one." At 28, Stephanie Land's dreams of attending a university and becoming a writer quickly dissolved when a summer fling turned into an unplanned pregnancy. Before long, she found herself a single mother, scraping by as a housekeeper to make ends meet. Maid is an emotionally raw, masterful account of Stephanie's years spent in service to upper middle class America as a "nameless ghost" who quietly shared in her clients' triumphs, tragedies, and deepest secrets. Driven to carve out a better life for her family, she cleaned by day and took online classes by night, writing relentlessly as she worked toward earning a college degree. She wrote of the true stories that weren't being told: of living on food stamps and WIC coupons, of government programs that barely provided housing, of aloof government employees who shamed her for receiving what little assistance she did. Above all else, she wrote about pursuing the myth of the American Dream from the poverty line, all the while slashing through deep-rooted stigmas of the working poor. Maid is Stephanie's story, but it's not hers alone. It is an inspiring testament to the courage, determination, and ultimate strength of the human spirit. "A single mother's personal, unflinching look at America's class divide, a description of the tightrope many families walk just to get by, and a reminder of the dignity of all work." -PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, Obama's Summer Reading List

Download or read book Murder Most Malicious written by Alyssa Maxwell and published by Kensington Publishing Corporation. This book was released on 2016 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1918 England, when the Marquis of Allerton goes missing from his fianc?e's family estate, Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady's maid, Eva Huntford, take an interest in discovering the truth.

Download or read book Carnegie s Maid written by Marie Benedict and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2018-01-16 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The USA Today Bestseller From the bestselling author of The Only Woman in the Room comes a mesmerizing tale of historical fiction that asks what kind of woman could have inspired an American dynasty. Clara Kelley is not who they think she is. She's not the experienced Irish maid who was hired to work in one of Pittsburgh's grandest households. She's a poor farmer's daughter with nowhere to go and nothing in her pockets. But the woman who shares her name has vanished, and assuming her identity just might get Clara some money to send back home. Clara must rely on resolve as strong as the steel Pittsburgh is becoming famous for and an uncanny understanding of business, attributes that quickly gain her Carnegie's trust. But she still can't let her guard down, not even when Andrew becomes something more than an employer. Revealing her past might ruin her future—and her family's. With captivating insight and heart, Carnegie's Maid is a book of fascinating 19th century historical fiction. Discover the story of one brilliant woman who may have spurred Andrew Carnegie's transformation from ruthless industrialist to the world's first true philanthropist. Other Bestselling Historical Fiction from Marie Benedict: The Mystery of Mrs. Christie Lady Clementine The Only Woman in the Room The Other Einstein

Download or read book A Lady s Maid written by Jen Geigle Johnson and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Molly O' Malley, lady's maid to the progressive Lady Amanda Halloway, is determined to continue the life's work of her lost love, killed in the Peterloo Massacre. But when her efforts and a trip to Lady Halloway's charitable orphanage culminate in her own abduction, Molly's eyes are opened to the horrifying crimes transpiring in the city's slums. Despite the risks, she broadens her mission and is drawn ever closer to the peril all around them. Thomas Flaherty, a footman in the Halloway household, has been with Molly from the beginning, but he fears she will never trust him with her heart. Even though her cause and happiness are of foremost importance to him, his loyal patience is tested by the fears that keep her at a distance. But with their safety on the line, Thomas is resolved to sacrifice everything for the woman he loves. Risking their lives and their love, Molly and Thomas and a team of nobles on their side will stop at nothing to empower the powerless, no matter the personal cost.