What do you think?
Rate this book
A page-turning Gothic mystery with a romantic twist! Perfect for fans of Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh, Jane Aiken Hodge and Jane Austen.
What is hiding behind the castle walls…?
1795, England
Nell Faraday has grown up at the Paddington Charitable Seminary for Indigent Young Ladies and now, like her two best friends Prudence and Kitty, she is ready to take up a position as a governess.
A star pupil, Nell prides herself on her common-sense and practicality. But when she arrives at Castle Jarrow, the imposing abode is enough to test even the steadiest of nerves, and the brooding man in charge of it is enough to test the firmest of hearts…
Lord Jarrow is a widower with a young daughter, Hetty, who Nell is to be in charge of, but it is soon clear that Nell’s job will not be an easy one.
Dark secrets lurk within the walls of the castle, secrets that could threaten the safety of its inhabitants.
Will Nell’s steadfastness keep her from fleeing? Can she earn the trust of Lord Jarrow?
And can she help free the castle from its curse…?
NELL is the second book in the Governess heart-warming Regency romance novels with strong female lead characters.
THE GOVERNESS
BOOK Prudence
BOOK Nell
BOOK Kitty
What is hiding behind the castle walls…?
1795, England
Nell Faraday has grown up at the Paddington Charitable Seminary for Indigent Young Ladies and now, like her two best friends Prudence and Kitty, she is ready to take up a position as a governess.
A star pupil, Nell prides herself on her common-sense and practicality. But when she arrives at Castle Jarrow, the imposing abode is enough to test even the steadiest of nerves, and the brooding man in charge of it is enough to test the firmest of hearts…
Lord Jarrow is a widower with a young daughter, Hetty, who Nell is to be in charge of, but it is soon clear that Nell’s job will not be an easy one.
Dark secrets lurk within the walls of the castle, secrets that could threaten the safety of its inhabitants.
Will Nell’s steadfastness keep her from fleeing? Can she earn the trust of Lord Jarrow?
And can she help free the castle from its curse…?
NELL is the second book in the Governess heart-warming Regency romance novels with strong female lead characters.
THE GOVERNESS
BOOK Prudence
BOOK Nell
BOOK Kitty
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 6, 2002
94 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Bailey
95 books304 followersAn avid reader from an early age, Elizabeth Bailey grew up in colonial Africa under unconventional parentage and with theatre in the blood. Back in England, she trod the boards until discovering her true métier as a writer in her thirties, when she fulfilled an early addiction to Georgette Heyer by launching into historical romance. Eight years and eight books later, Elizabeth joined the Harlequin Mills & Boon stable, fuelling her writing with a secondary career teaching and directing drama, and writing plays into the bargain.
With 18 historicals published, Elizabeth turned to other genres, producing two titles (Fly the Wild Echoes and For One More Tomorrow) in the cross-genre literary/paranormal field as well as a suspense novella (Silence of a Stranger). She has several short stories available too and a guide for writers on editing.
Continuing her foray into other genres, but returning to her favourite historical period, Elizabeth turned to mystery. She placed her female sleuth in the late Georgian world of intrigue, elegance, aristocrats and rogues, where privilege rubbed shoulders with the harsh realities of making ends meet. While Ottilia moves in the upper echelon of Society, she is thoroughly at ease in the lower, which allows Elizabeth to cross boundaries with impunity. These novels are now published with Sapere Books and the list continues to grow.
Sapere also publish her Brides by Chance Regency Adventures, a series dedicated to the countless women who could not ordinarily hope for romance and marriage: poor relations, dowerless females, those who did not "take", orphans. In a word, the classic Cinderella heroine.
Now retired from teaching, Elizabeth concentrates on writing and promotion, with a sideline in running an assessment critique service for writers.
With 18 historicals published, Elizabeth turned to other genres, producing two titles (Fly the Wild Echoes and For One More Tomorrow) in the cross-genre literary/paranormal field as well as a suspense novella (Silence of a Stranger). She has several short stories available too and a guide for writers on editing.
Continuing her foray into other genres, but returning to her favourite historical period, Elizabeth turned to mystery. She placed her female sleuth in the late Georgian world of intrigue, elegance, aristocrats and rogues, where privilege rubbed shoulders with the harsh realities of making ends meet. While Ottilia moves in the upper echelon of Society, she is thoroughly at ease in the lower, which allows Elizabeth to cross boundaries with impunity. These novels are now published with Sapere Books and the list continues to grow.
Sapere also publish her Brides by Chance Regency Adventures, a series dedicated to the countless women who could not ordinarily hope for romance and marriage: poor relations, dowerless females, those who did not "take", orphans. In a word, the classic Cinderella heroine.
Now retired from teaching, Elizabeth concentrates on writing and promotion, with a sideline in running an assessment critique service for writers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Read
January 29, 2016A gothic masquerading as a regency romance.
January 28, 2026
A clean story. Second book in this series, which left me a bit non plussed. A girl goes to be a governess and is taken to a castle which seems to be in a dark wood, a highway man stops here on the way there but the castle groom/ staff collecting her don’t seem worried. The child you have now guessed apparently has ‘issues’ - tempers and the like, only an obviously dodgy nurse can control her, everyone seems to go for walks around the castle roof as if it’s Hyde Park at promenade time. Everyone also seems to include said child who is 6ish if I recall. Then there’s a crypt, turrets with dodgy staircases. All very gothic rather than regency romance. I also was surprised when Toly, having murdered his sister, hit various people over the head and threatened our heroine with a pistol, acknowledged as having psychological issues, is not handed to the authorities or restrained merely allowed to remain in the castle. I agree with Nell who thought he may come after them later on. The story did not draw me in or really engage me. I did finish it so it just scrapes 3 stars, but I doubt I will now bother with Book 3.
March 20, 2025
Gothic indeed
A full blown gothic romance, Nell’s story is also littered with elements of farce and of melodrama. What spoils the reading of the tale are the long passages of characters ruminating over what to do, what is right, what is wrong, and charging themselves repeatedly to take control of their emotions. So very boring.
Eden is an arse. The tragedy in his life is no excuse for his black moods and angry responses. Equally, his refusal to believe Nell is ridiculous. Hetty is a better drawn character than her father or uncle.
Steadfast and honest, Nell is a true heroine and she makes the book readable.
I had to skim through all the extraneous waffle that made it a slog getting to the end, and that left me disappointed.
A full blown gothic romance, Nell’s story is also littered with elements of farce and of melodrama. What spoils the reading of the tale are the long passages of characters ruminating over what to do, what is right, what is wrong, and charging themselves repeatedly to take control of their emotions. So very boring.
Eden is an arse. The tragedy in his life is no excuse for his black moods and angry responses. Equally, his refusal to believe Nell is ridiculous. Hetty is a better drawn character than her father or uncle.
Steadfast and honest, Nell is a true heroine and she makes the book readable.
I had to skim through all the extraneous waffle that made it a slog getting to the end, and that left me disappointed.
June 27, 2025
Avevo cominciato, e lasciato da parte, il primo libro di questa trilogia, perché mi trovavo a collocarlo nello 'scaffale' più basso della produzione di EB – un'autrice i cui romanzi coprono per me un ampio range di valutazioni.
Ma la scelta del genere gotico, pur con il ricorso ai più banali luoghi comuni (dal castello medievale con le sue sinistre torrette e l'orribile cripta fino agli ambigui o folli protagonisti e gli spettri, con l'ulteriore finezza del 'cameo' Hitchcockiano del bicchiere di latte) ha messo in gioco le migliori abilità di invenzione e di scrittura della Bailey, portando stavolta il mio giudizio fino (quasi) alle quattro stelle.
Ma la scelta del genere gotico, pur con il ricorso ai più banali luoghi comuni (dal castello medievale con le sue sinistre torrette e l'orribile cripta fino agli ambigui o folli protagonisti e gli spettri, con l'ulteriore finezza del 'cameo' Hitchcockiano del bicchiere di latte) ha messo in gioco le migliori abilità di invenzione e di scrittura della Bailey, portando stavolta il mio giudizio fino (quasi) alle quattro stelle.
November 5, 2024
A little disappointing
I am finding this series not as enthralling as The Lady Fan stories. In fact, a bit boring at times. Hopefully I will enjoy other stories written by this author more captivating.
I am finding this series not as enthralling as The Lady Fan stories. In fact, a bit boring at times. Hopefully I will enjoy other stories written by this author more captivating.
July 19, 2019
Great clean read
Nice suspenseful story. Although very predictable it had a little mystery involved and the characters were well developed. Worth reading.
Nice suspenseful story. Although very predictable it had a little mystery involved and the characters were well developed. Worth reading.
December 29, 2021
five stars for the whole governess trilogy.
September 22, 2023
The setting of a gothic castle was very atmospheric. I liked the characters, and the mystery was interesting but just a little too drawn out for me.
October 26, 2024
Good, but …
Only four stars because I didn’t like the resolution of the ending. Otherwise it was a great “gothic romance full of suspense”.
Only four stars because I didn’t like the resolution of the ending. Otherwise it was a great “gothic romance full of suspense”.
March 22, 2025
What's good. But I thought I would go nuts waiting for them to just communicate. Argh!
November 29, 2024
More suspense than romance. I came close to DNF a couple of times.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews