Book excerpt: A Victorian woman defies convention and follows her heart to freedom in this conclusion to the Barforth Trilogy from the author of Flint and Roses. Grace Agbrigg has ambitions beyond merely ornamenting the home of a rich husband. But Victorian England is still almost wholly a man’s world in which women—rich or poor—must do the bidding of the father, husband or employer. Attracted against her will to the ambitious and ruthless Gideon Chard, Grace instead makes the marriage that is expected of her. But eventually she breaks free of a relationship that is a sham to become the only divorcee in Cullingford. Cast out by society, Grace is faced with a future she never expected—one in which she holds the keys to her own happiness. Set against a background of change and unrest, of dazzling wealth cheek by jowl with bitter poverty, this conclusion to the Barforth Trilogy is perfect for fans of Sandy Taylor, Katie Flynn and Josephine Cox.