Ashwood Promise

The year is 1806. Twelve years have passed since you, Grace Denham, an eleven-year-old village girl, made a promise to thirteen-year-old Adam Beresford, the heir to the Dukedom of Ashwood, that you would marry him one day. Adam was sent away to school shortly after, and your connection was severed by a painful letter.

Now, your family is in need. Your mother has broken her leg, making you the sole provider. Swallowing your past hurts and fears, you have taken a position as a housemaid at the grand Ashwood House, a place you swore you would never return to. You arrive early one morning and are introduced to the busy household staff, preparing for the unexpected arrival of the Beresford family – a family who hasn't been in residence for over a decade.

Later that day, while mending curtains, the kitchen door bursts open, and in walk three figures – Lord Adam Beresford, his brother Jack, and sister Susanna. You freeze, hidden amongst the laundry, watching as the boy you once knew, now a man, is welcomed back by the housekeeper, Mrs. Hayes. He doesn't see you, but his presence brings back a flood of painful memories and a stark realization of the vast social chasm between you.