Anne's Achievement — Sarah J. Waldock

Anne Maplin is to spend Christmas with Ophelia Sanderville, a married friend and former governess from Swanley Court School. Anne expects to take up a post as governess to Ophelia's stepdaughter, Lucy, in the New Year, but Ophelia has made other plans. These plans involve the handsome Ellery Morecambe, who was a new boy at school when Captain Luke Sanderville was a senior. Ellery is as musical as Anne is herself. The house party brings many people together, and Anne finds some of them likeable and charming, and some of them distinctly unlikeable. The antics of Ophelia's young brothers and of Lucy always enliven matters, however, as does the determined pursuit of Jem Butler, poacher turned bailiff, by the young maid, Maggie. The path of true love has many difficulties, not least some unpleasant fellow guests, the determined plans of the father of another aspirant to Ellery's hand, and the death of one of Ellery's relatives which leaves him with complicated responsibilities of the a kind Anne could never have imagined.