T. J. Brown

1913: In a sprawling manor on the outskirts of London, three young women seek to fulfill their destinies and desires amidst the unspoken rules of society in this stunning series starter that fans of Downton Abbey will love. Rowena Buxton Sir Philip Buxton raised three girls into beautiful and capable young women in a bohemian household that defied Edwardian tradition. Eldest sister Rowena was taught to value people, not wealth or status. But everything she believes will be tested when Sir Philip dies, and the girls must live under their uncle’s guardianship at the vast family estate, Summerset Abbey. Standing up for a beloved family member sequestered to the “underclass” in this privileged new world, and drawn into the Cunning Coterie, an exclusive social circle of aristocratic “rebels,” Rowena must decide where her true passions—and loyalties—lie. Victoria Buxton Frail in body but filled with an audacious spirit, Victoria secretly dreams of attending university to become a botanist like her father. But this most unladylike wish is not her only secret—Victoria has stumbled upon a family scandal that, if revealed, has the potential to change lives forever... Prudence Tate Prudence was lovingly brought up alongside Victoria and Rowena, and their bond is as strong as blood. But by birth she is a governess’s daughter, and to the lord of Summerset Abbey, that makes her a commoner who must take her true place in society—as lady’s maid to her beloved “sisters.” But Pru doesn’t belong in the downstairs world of the household staff any more than she belongs upstairs with the Buxton girls. And when a young lord catches her eye, she begins to wonder if she’ll ever truly carve out a place for herself at Summerset Abbey.

Summerset Abbey

A follow-up to Summerset Abbey follows Prudence's desperate marriage and move to Devonshire, which prompts a remorseful Rowena's reckless relationship with a daring flyboy and an ailing Victoria's defiant pursuit of a career in botany. Original.

Summerset Abbey: A Bloom in Winter

The thrilling conclusion to the evocative Summerset Abbey series, featuring two sisters and their maid as they navigate an uncertain world in the midst of World War I. The laughter of summer lawn parties fades for the men and women of Summerset Abbey, as the rumble of cannon-fire sweeps across Europe. In a changing world, they soon find that only one thing is certain: none of them will ever be the same. rowena buxton The female pilot’s upcoming wedding to Sebastian Billingsly is the talk of soci­ety. Rowena loves her kind, handsome fiancé, but memories of a dangerously passionate affair with a dashing flier still stir her heart. . . . Accepting a daring mission transporting British planes, she encounters the man whose touch sent her reeling—and whose return into her life may have disastrous consequences for her and Sebastian’s future. victoria buxton The defiant suffragette raises eyebrows once again by living on her own in London as a lady bachelor. Kit Kittredge is the one man who understands and adores Victoria’s fiery spirit—but she rebuffs her best friend’s offer of marriage time and again, choosing to join the war effort as a volunteer nurse. And on the battlefields of France, she will learn the true meaning of love and sacrifice. prudence tate After a stinging betrayal at Summerset Abbey, Prudence has found love and contentment in working-class Camden Town as Mrs. Andrew Wilkes. But when Andrew enlists, everything that Pru cherishes is at risk—and she crosses a line attempting to protect him. Has she irreparably damaged their loving bond of trust?

Summerset Abbey: Spring Awakening

Dr Newton Barlow has everything a theoretical physicist could ask for - a glittering career both in the lab and on television, a beautiful wife, and best of all, the opportunity to promote his rock-solid certainty that supernatural and religious beliefs are nothing but complete and utter hokum. But Barlow is about to take a tumble. Mired in accusations of fraud, incompetence and malpractice, Newton is cast out from the scientific establishment and ejected from the family home. With his life in tatters, he descends into a wine-sodden wilderness. Then, after three lost years, Barlow is suddenly approached by his old mentor and fellow sceptic Dr Sixsmith with an extraordinary proposition, an offer that Newton simply cannot refuse. There's just one small problem: Dr Sixsmith is dead. Thrown headlong into a new reality that simply shouldn't exist, Dr Newton Barlow is about to come up against the best and the worst of human nature: tooled-up vicars, paper-pushing ancient Greeks, sinister property developers, a saucy rubber nun and possibly the most mean-spirited man ever to have walked the earth (twice). From the dusty plains of Spain to the leafy vicarages of Hampshire, Dr Barlow will have to contradict everything he ever believed in if he wants to save this world - and the next.

The Unhappy Medium

As the icy chill of winter, 1914, settles on the magnificent country estate of Summerset Abbey, three young women seek comfort and warmth in the smiles of friends, the fire in their hearts, and the promise of spring. . . . Victoria Buxton With her delicate constitution but strong, unflappable spirit, Victoria has never followed societal conventions, the rules of fashion, or the pursuit of a husband. Instead, she finds herself drawn into the controversial—and dangerous—fight for women’s suffrage. But her dream is compromised, and her heart divided, when her struggle for equal rights collides with unexpected love. Rowena Buxton After yearning to no avail for a certain young pilot to fly back into her life, Rowena fears her chances for happiness have been jeopardized by recklessness and scandal. Burdened with guilt for bringing her sister Prudence to Summerset Abbey as a lady’s maid while she herself led a life of privilege, Rowena hopes to one day make amends. But her desire to set things right is complicated by her passion for flight and a sudden engagement . . . to the wrong man. Prudence Tate Raised like a sister to Victoria and Rowena, then banished to the servants’ quarters when their father passed away, Prudence has seen both sides of life, upstairs and down. But once the truth about her parentage was revealed, Prudence forged a new life for herself, married to a penniless veterinary student. Living in poverty in a shabby London flat, she wonders if she’s made a terrible mistake— and there’s no turning back. . . .

Dans un monde de préjugés et de privilèges, les aristocrates et les serviteurs ne se mêlent pas. Nous sommes en 1913. Rowena, Victoria et Prudence devront rester solidaires coûte que coûte pour accomplir leur destinée. Car dans ce siècle naissant et à l’aube de la première guerre mondiale, de redoutables secrets de famille menacent de faire voler en éclats l’ordre immuable de Summerset Abbey... A la mort de leur père, Rowena et Victoria sont confiées à sir Conrad, le frère du défunt. Prudence, la fille de la préceptrice, qui a été élevée comme une sœur à leur côté, les accompagne. Dans la somptueuse demeure de Summerset Abbey où elles sont accueillies, c’est un univers d’ordre et de privilèges qu’elles découvrent, réglé selon les usages stricts de l’aristocratie anglaise. Une vie nouvelle pour ces héritières élevées à Londres par un père libéral, plus soucieux de les instruire que de leur inculquer les bonnes manières. Rowena et Victoria ont bien du mal à se conformer à ces nouvelles exigences : pourquoi leur oncle veut-il à tout prix faire d’elles des ladies irréprochables, figées dans les traditions, quand Rowena ne rêve que d’aviation et Victoria de devenir une femme de sciences ? Mais c’est pour Prudence, qui se retrouve renvoyée à son rang de domestique, que le choc est le plus dur. Pourra-t-elle encore plaire au jeune lord Billingsby, accoutrée en femme de chambre ? « Fans de Downton Abbey, ce livre est pour vous ! »

T. J. Brown

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