Nuneaton, 1875.

Lily Moon, the local miner's daughter, spends her days as a parlour maid for Lord and Lady Bellingham at Oakley Manor, on the outskirts of Nuneaton. She's always been happy with her lot in life, and never expected more.

But one day, everything changes when she temporarily becomes lady's maid to the Bellingham's daughter, Arabella, who is pregnant with the illegitimate child of her lover, and about to be unhappily married off to a man double her age.

When Arabella suddenly disappears and Lily is left holding the baby, the Bellingham's deny any link to the child. But Lily Moon is made of strong stuff, and between her and her sick mother, they know they must give a home to sweet baby Anastasia (Annie) and bring her up despite their own poor means. It is only Arabella's brother, the handsome son and heir of the estate, who shows any interest in the child, and through his kindness a friendship forms between him and Lily. Or, perhaps more than a friendship if the village gossips are to be believed . . .

Lily knows she is no match for Louis: this humble pit wench could never steal the heart of the Lord of the manor. They must both deny their feelings and exist as they are: from different worlds. But when Lily is called to Paris to try to bring Arabella home to her family, a new opportunity emerges which could change her life forever. Could she dare to believe that she could be more than just a parlour maid?

Rosie Goodwin is the four-million-copy bestselling author of more than forty novels. She is the first author in the world to be allowed to follow three of Catherine Cookson's trilogies with her own sequels. Having worked in the social services sector for many years, then fostered a number of children, she is now a full-time novelist. She is one of the top 50 most borrowed authors from UK libraries and has sold over four million copies across her career. Rosie lives in Nuneaton, the setting for many of her books, with her husband and their beloved dogs.