West Yorkshire, 1904. When newly graduated nurse Ruby May takes a position looking after the children of Charles and Lilian England, a wealthy couple from a powerful dynasty of mill owners, she hopes it will be the fresh start she needs.
But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House, it becomes clear there’s something not quite right about the beautiful, mysterious Mrs England.
Distant and withdrawn, Lilian shows little interest in her children or charming husband, and is far from the ‘angel of the house’ Ruby was expecting. As the warm, vivacious Charles welcomes Ruby into the family, a series of strange events forces her to question everything she thought she knew.
Ostracised by the servants and feeling increasingly uneasy, Ruby must face her demons in order to prevent history from repeating itself.
After all, there’s no such thing as the perfect family – and she should know.
Mrs England by Stacey Halls is published on 10 June, 2021.
Stacey has written about the inspiration for her book in Nanny state: why the golden era of Edwardian childhood is ripe for fiction
