The Maiden

In the Morland Dynasty series, the majestic sweep of English history is richly and movingly portrayed through the fictional lives of the Morland family. It is 1720, and political intrigue is rife as the Stuart-Hanoverian struggle continues. Jemmy, heir to Morland Place, contracts a dutiful marriage to the chilly Lady Mary in order to secure Hanoverian protection and safeguard his inheritance. Morland lives are riven by the '45 rebellion and the bloody massacre at Culloden, and at their lowest point, their fortunes rest in the small hands of Jemmy's daughter Jemima. Intelligent and single-minded, Jemima proves a capable caretaker of the Morland heritage, and although Morland Place and its lands suffer from the excesses of her dissolute husband, her quiet courage earns her an abiding love and loyalty.