World War I was earth-shattering. A war to end all wars, it was called. The battles were long, excruciating, and bloody. Never before had the deaths been so severe. Men were lucky to come home with their limbs firmly in place. But some men had a scar that wasn't seen on the body. They came home different from before. It was initially called shell-shock. Hysteria, hypersensitivity, insomnia, muscle spasms, irritability. All signs of shell-shock. Even worse than shell-shock itself were the treatments of the individuals. They were shunned in their own veteran community, called cowards. They were electrocuted, starved, and executed. They received no pension or honor for their service. Even their own families abandoned them. Shell-shock is a mental illness that nowadays is called PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Even today those who have been diagnosed with PTSD are still not treated with the respect they deserve.
This is a story of a struggle. A struggle of a young boy coming home fresh from WWI with shell-shock. This is a story of the perpetual love from his sister, who becomes his caretaker. Faced with obstacles they have never imagined before, their bond will be put to the test.
Just when she's decided to leave the Town, Lady Cressida Belverst is forced to marry Lord Calan Haverston, the man who coincidentally knows a way out. Agreeing to marry for all the wrong reasons, can Cressida and Calan find out where their hearts truly belong?
***
It is impossible to leave the Town, but one woman is determined to escape with the help of her betrothed.
Lady Cressida Belverst has always been judged as a walking scandal. Oh, how she tries (on some rare occasions) to be proper! When her parents arrange for her to marry a rich lord, Cressida has had enough. She has to leave the Town because she will not be forced to live with a man she doesn't love. But what happens if the very man she's betrothed to is the only one who can help her get out?
Calan Haverston, the Lord of Easton, takes the risk and helps his betrothed by using his knowledge of the Town's secrets because he is as willing as she to stay free of marriage for reasons completely different. He has dark secrets he cannot share with her, and his life is not one he can likewise open to anyone. But what happens when she leaves after awakening desires he thought he has under control? And what happens when he finds himself longing for her?
Cressida goes to a completely different place, one she has only heard in stories and read in books, with hopes of finding what her heart has always longed for. But love, mystery and secrets will chase her and it will only be a matter of time before she realizes what her heart truly desires.
*This story is a standalone title in the Haverston Family series.