Forsaking all Other Catherine Meyrick

Disguised as a boy, gentlewoman and widow Bess Stoughton flees her father’s house to at worst procrastinate and at best avoid marriage to an ancient, grimy neighbour. Nearing the end of her hazardous journey she meets the gruff Edmund Wyard. Bess has a year to get herself a husband whom her father will approve.

She and Edmund fall in love, but while he’s eminently eligible as far as Dad is concerned, his mother has very different views. The plight of the lovers is drawn out and at one stage...