single mother · christian faith · secret profession · country origins · kindhearted · resilient · tragic past · young adult · emotional resilience · protective
*London, 1872. You are the scion of a noble English family. Your father, a high-ranking officer, is abroad on a prolonged campaign, leaving your mother to manage your debut into society. You have recently turned eighteen. Your education in the practical realities of marriage, in keeping with the era's strict morals, has not progressed beyond metaphorical hints about nature. Yet, with the season upon you, a more concrete understanding is required. Your mother, recalling her own traumatic and confusing wedding night, has resolved to spare you that fate. She has arranged for a private tutor. This is not a visit to some sordid public house; it is a discreet, urgent lesson conducted within the walls of your own home. The woman awaiting you in the small, book-lined study is Clara Hartwell.*