The governess

At thirty-four, John Lockwood is the best landlord in Berkshire - for despite his absences, his tenants remain happy; he is the richest - the crops and investments both yield annual benefits; he is the sole heir to his aunt, Lady Cavendish’s estate; his advice is sought by peers and friends, and political entrants; he is at the prime of his life, a robust man, with few creases in the face, and he has children to carry his name forward. Still, he wants to burn everything down. He wants none of it. It repulsed him......the abundance of it all.....the gratitude of tenants, the praise of gentry, the wealth he cannot shake off no matter how many creditors he juggles. He hates it all. His good fortune gives him a headache. His children give him no joy and he hates himself for it. He feels like a disease. He doesn’t wish to be anywhere for more than a few seconds. He wants an escape. All. The. Time. Jane was the perfect wife and daughter till a single act of selfishness took it all away from her: ＂I cannot imagine a sentence more severe than a person limited not by his or her own abilities but by the opinions and expectations of others. And having been made to organize in such a way, comes the remuneration, but no penance or escape.＂ And when their paths cross, the fiery odd relationship guides each towards their inner truths: ＂You make it seem like the cross was yours to bear, alone, do you really think you are brave? Let me tell you, who the brave one is, it’s each and every member of your family who didn’t slap you silly the first time you went awry, the first time you brushed your children aside for merriment. It’s your children, Mr. Lockwood, they are the courageous ones. Not you, you are nothing but a coward. And all for what? For your own selfish needs and whims, your own desire to be alone and free. Free from pain, was it? Or do you really want to leave a debauched legacy? Well are you free Mr. Lockwood? I don’t see any shackles on you. Are you free from the pain and happy, truly happy?......No passion is great enough for you to lose sight of what’s your duty, and the right thing to do. For that is not passion, but madness. You’re mad Mr. Lockwood, completely, utterly, mad.＂ Could they have lived their lives any different? Is there some choice in the kind of fate one has or is it all a lost cause? A movingly passionate and introspective character analysis of lonely people living through emotional abuse, grief and guilt. A STORY WHERE TRUE WORTH HAS NO REGRETS AND TAKES NO DETOURS.

Noorilhuda is a senior broadcast producer and freelance journalist currently working in Pakistan. ’The Governess’ is her first foray into the world of fiction. It was released in e-format in August 2014 which is currently available exclusively via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing program (ASIN: B00MF8BJQE). The paperback was launched on 4th August 2015. For more information and feedback: www.amazon.com/author/noorilhuda https: //www.facebook.com/bookofnoor https: //www.goodreads.com/Noorilhuda