Prologue:

Eliza Hastings had never imagined herself as a governess. Once a

spirited daughter of a modest country squire, she was thrust into a

life of duty and expectation after her father's untimely passing.

With each passing day, she felt the flicker of her dreams fade,

replaced by the harsh realities of necessity. Yet, there was a flicker

of hope within her heart-a longing for something more than the

confines of her station, a desire that could ignite her very soul.