The Black Velvet Gown — Catherine Cookson

There would be times when Riah Millican came to regret that her miner husband had learned to read and write, and then shared that knowledge with her and their children. For this was Durham in the 1830s, when employers tended to regard the spread of education with suspicion. But now Seth Millican was dead and she a widow with the pressing need to find a home and a living for herself and her children.

The chance of becoming a housekeeper didn't work out, but it led to Moor House and a scholarly recluse obsessed with that very book learning that could open so many doors and yet create so many problems; especially with her daughter, Biddy, who was not only bright, but wilful...