Historical Fiction England

James Hutchins had done well after inheriting his father’s prestigious legal firm. After he married Ireland-born Emma, the two enjoyed a marriage of the norm in Victorian England. At a time when no one discussed their bedroom antics outside of their marriage, the tension continued to rise between the sheets as Emma refused to explore James’s naughty fantasies. A chance encounter with a wealthy man provided hope for the frustrated husband. Basking in class and prestige, the wealthy man is enlisted to show the prudish wife the ways of the secret world of open relationships.

Since learning that German troops have murdered her estranged parents in Belgium, Alise's life has descended into poverty, crime, and prostitution and she refuses to be tamed. But continual hardship eventually breeds disillusionment and resentment and she plots a daring escape, fleeing towards the only man she trusts to help her survive—court missionary Robert Elliott.

Lady Avril Gordon has a psychic gift that she has always kept hidden at risk of being burned at the stake. When Avril travels from her Highland home to Queen Mary's court to begin her married life with Duke Magnus Campbell, she decides to use her abilities to steer her and her husband safely through the various intrigues and threats at Court. But when she sees something that would potentially lead to a tragic mistake for Queen Mary - Avril is torn between warning the queen and exposing herself to a great danger.

When a mute criminal known as the "Street Arab" is taken into custody, police call on court missionary Robert Elliott to try and unravel the enigma. With the help of Mary O'Driscoll, a sharply perceptive nurse, Elliott reveals the prisoner to be Walter Stanford, a man with a blemished past and who is about to change their lives forever. As Elliott tries to understand the significance of a mysterious note found in a locket on the cell floor, Mary becomes haunted by a series of lucid dreams about Walter's life and a dark, harrowing crime.