Ashes of Forever: A Victorian Romance of Lost Love and Second Chances

William, Earl of Ashford, and Violet Hayes grew up together—he the heir to a great title, she the daughter of his father's stable master and cook. Their childhood friendship deepened into stolen kisses and secret promises. William vowed their love would transcend class boundaries and social convention. When William returns from London during the Season, he announces his engagement to a wealthy woman of suitable rank instead of claiming Violet's hand as promised. His mother, Lady Ashford, forces Violet to leave, threatening her parents' livelihoods and revealing that Violet is pregnant with William's child. Devastated and alone, Violet is sent away. Years later, William's marriage ends when his wife dies childless. He seeks out Violet, hoping to reclaim what was lost. But he finds not the trusting girl he once knew, but a woman hardened by heartbreak and devoted entirely to their daughter—the child he rejected. Violet's trust is broken, and she has vowed never again to be the girl who chose him. Content warnings include referenced suicide, child choking incidents, emotional cruelty, abandonment of a pregnant heroine, loveless marriage, grief, class power imbalance, and secret baby.