Michael Legat

In a time when working conditions were renowned for their harsh cruelty, Harcourts' Silk Mill surpassed them all in its relentless and unforgiving regime – a regime so brutal that it sent men to an early grave and left families destitute. After these very conditions had caused his own father’s death, Richard Goodwin seemed destined for the workhouse. In a final bid for freedom, he journeyed to a neighbouring town to find work in a rival mill. There he acquired the secrets and skills of the silk trade, and found that his new knowledge had also brought him power. For when their fortunes were reversed and it was the Harcourts facing severe hardship, Richard had a choice – to take revenge once and for all or to offer help and reconciliation. But could he make the right decision when Sarah Harcourt featured so heavily in his mind?