Cresswell Inheritance Books
Mortimer Cresswell is an old man now, about to breathe his last, and at his deathbed the members of his family hover, waiting to scrap over his fortune. When Stanislas von Ehrlich, a self-made man of fortune, moves into the neighbourhood, the natural order of things changes. Stanislasruthless in his desire to succeedhas his eye on Mortimer's land, but the Cresswells refuse to sell, sparking a massive feud. When Esmerelda von Erlich finds herself drawn to a member of the Cresswell household, she is determined to exact her will and exercise her desire. Bound to one another by conflict, passion, and betrayal, both families are set on a collision course so powerful, it will completely alter their world.
It is 1913 and the world is on the brink of war. Yet on the estate of Cresswell Manor in Devon, the summer seems endless. Hannah, only daughter of the Cresswells, becomes involved with the suffragettes and dreams of falling in love; headstrong and spoiled Esmerelda deceives her husband for the strangest of reasons; Lettice longs for freedom from her brute of a husband; young Mortimer Cresswell appals his mother by falling in love with an estate worker's daughter, while his brother, Felix, causes heartbreak in his pursuit of pleasure. Caught up in their own lives, the Cresswells seem ignorant that war is looming, and that soon the world will alter beyond their wildest dreams - or fears...
This character-driven drama takes us into spring, 1915. Far away in France, the Great War was not over by Christmas as was confidently predicted. It shows no sign of ending, and the peaceful calm of Cresswell Manor in Devon has been shattered. It is now a convalescent home for soldiers from the Front. They arrive in increasing numbers to recover from their wounds, their minds and bodies broken. The old social order is crumbling as surely as time begins to break the walls of the ancient manor house. With their menfolk still fighting, the women left behind take on the burden of running the estate as well as their homes and households, working harder than they ever have before. Some of the women battle on and remain faithful, while loneliness encourages others to stray. Will life ever be the same again for Rowan, in conflict with society and fearful of what the future may hold, or for Esmeralda, who is riddled with guilt? Is it too late for Hannah to find her life's companion, and will Dolly ever be reconciled with the man she loves? These questions and more are answered as the characters struggle to find peace amidst the chaos of wartime Europe.