Heather's mistress

About this book

"Heather's Mistress" by Amy Le Feuvre is a novel written in the late 19th century. It follows twin sisters, Heather and Bluebell Fotheringay, reared in a strict, old-fashioned household, as they are suddenly offered a path into London society by a lively cousin. The story contrasts duty and religious scruple with allurements of independence, fashion, and romance, centering on the sisters’ choices and the tensions between their guardian-like servant Abigail and their worldly mentor Ida Carter.

The opening of the novel shows the twins newly orphaned and lonely in a gloomy country home, watched over by severe, devout Abigail and kindly Rachael. A bold letter from cousin Ida brings her to visit, clashing at once with Abigail before whisking the girls to London, where Captain Carter and his brother Cyril introduce them to easy conversation, music, and plans for presentation at court. As their pleasures multiply, their private devotions wane and doubts surface about “living in pleasure,” yet they press on through a season of entertainments; Bluebell garners a serious suitor while Heather keeps her freedom. When they visit Cyril’s country house after a year away, Heather slips into the woods with a troubling letter and begins, at last, to confide—signaling that the early glamour is giving way to more weighty choices.