Forsaking Hope — Beverley Oakley

Felix, Lord Felix Durham, has been in love with Hope Merriweather for as long as he can remember.
But he is the eldest son of the noble family of Foxley Manor, and the pretty daughter of the local squire is considered a more appropriate match than the vicar's wild, hoydenish daughter, Hope.
The night before Hope sets sail to become a governess in Germany, Felix arranges to secretly meet her and declare his love.
But Hope never makes their assignation.
Two years later, she appears in his bed - a ‘special birthday gift' arranged by his well-meaning friends and, now, one of notorious brothel owner Madam Chambon's most sought-after girls.
What happened to Hope to have transformed her from the passionate, ambitious girl he remembered to the hard-hearted prostitute who sees their transaction as ‘business only'?
And what chance is there of realising his once dearly-held dreams of making Hope the centre of his life?