The Lady's Maid

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Kate hurried homeward as fast as the iron-clad pattens would allow, wrapping her thin shawl a little tighter around her head and shoulders. She lived in the rat infested stables with the smell of horses clinging to her hair and clothes, while Josephine Damerell, the spoilt, petted and over-indulged daughter of the house, dwelt in luxury. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice.

It begins in the night on a hill where a Romany woman awaits the birth of her daughter’s illegitimate child for whom she has arranged a home. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. The Romany grandmother finds a safe home for this girl as well, both children growing up believing themselves legitimate. until a chance meeting forces them to face the truth of that night nearly twenty years before a truth turning both their worlds upside down and maybe breaking up their friendship for ever. From the start, the story regarding two babies born on the same day and delivered by the same woman seemed a bit unlikely.Still, rather than being bitter toward her childhood friend, Kate does her best to help Josie come safely through whatever wild plan she’s dragged Kate into. This is the second historical novel I have read by Dilly Court, and once again, she sunk me into the period with all the prejudice and classism endemic in the 1800s. Another enjoyable read from Dilly Court set in the mid 19th century, however, I found it full of unbelievable occurrences. The first portrayal was enough to make me worry the author shared the views of that period, but then as the story unfolds, a much more nuanced view comes into play.

Other than being Dumbledore's name in the Harry Potter books, I am not sure what the term meant in this book, as it wasn't used as a name, but I laughed when I figured this out.

I especially appreciated the clear presentation of the way different strata of society lived, demonstrated both in description and simple comments about how only the wealthy have the luxury of not knowing how much coin they possess. I never truly liked Josie, raised as a lady, because she is unthinking, hypercritical, and selfish, but I came to appreciate her flawed but contrite nature.

Two female babies denied their birth mothers and brought up in very different, yet side by side circumstances. There is no relationship development or apparent getting to know each other before they are suddenly smitten.Bottom line, the story is nicely resonant of its historical setting, shedding light on the biases and foul behaviors as much as the strength of bonds even when society would frown on them. Until a chance meeting forces Kate and Josie to confront the truth of that night nearly twenty years before - a truth that turns both worlds upside down and threatens to destroy their friendship forever. She is often repentant after the fact and occasionally shows flashes of maturity even at her worst though they don’t last.