Scott’s Practical Cotton Spinner, and Manufacturer: The Managers’, Overlookers’, and Mechanics’ Companion (1851)

Newly married and pregnant, Ashley is left with her in-laws, while her husband searches for his disinherited brother who disappeared, leaving his mother distraught. When a telegram comes informing them that Ashley’s Husband has been murdered, Ashley’s mother-in-law becomes obsessed with the baby soon to come. Finding an opportunity to leave, Ashley hastily makes the decision to search for her husband’s brother, hoping to make it possible for her child to have a relationship with the grandparents. Ashley finds herself in Harwell alone, a stranger, and when she blacks out she finds herself in the home of Elizabeth Thatcher. Ashley’s life spins out of control when her baby is delivered four weeks early.