First published 1985
Cassandra Dashwood arrives at the Vanbrugh household to teach young Sophy. The position seems straightforward enough. She will care for the daughter of Marion Vanbrugh, a widower who needs help managing his home and child. Cassandra throws herself into her duties with the enthusiasm of youth. She finds Marion kind but unremarkable, a man still grieving his late wife. Yet something shifts as the days pass. Cassandra begins to see qualities in her employer that others might miss. Her feelings deepen from respect to something more dangerous. Marion remains oblivious to the change in his governess. The household continues its quiet routine while Cassandra struggles with emotions she never expected. She must navigate the impossible distance between her role as employee and her growing attachment to a man who sees her only as help for his daughter.
Genres: literary-fiction, domestic-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, adult-fiction
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Vanbrugh Household
Period: 20th Century
192 pages · Paperback · Virago