The kindness OF COUSINS

Rachael's whole world had fallen apart - but surely love would save her?

- Matthew Batham

1850

Uncle Charles turned to her and smiled as he pushed open the door.

‘I know it won’t seem much after what you’ve been used to, Rachael, but it’s your home now, and we want you to be happy here.’

Rachael mustered a weak smile in return. She didn’t want to seem ungrateful. It was good of her uncle and his wife, Jane, to take her in. But to go from a smart villa in one of the most prestigious districts of London to this lowly cottage in a village 30 miles from the capital marked the worst time of her life. It was worse for her father, of course, sitting in a cell in a debtor’s prison. Rachael was glad her late mother wasn’t here to see his shameful downfall.

When her father had been incarcerated, Rachael had been left with no other choice but to turn to family. Her father’s sister had made it abundantly clear that Rachael was not welcome at her impressive country pile, so instead Rachael was here, accepting the charity of her mother’s brother, and life in the village of Hillenvale, which boasted a church, one inn and less than two dozen houses.

Before the door had fully opened, her aunt Jane and cousin Emily were there to greet her. Her aunt was a petite, pretty woman in her 40s with light brown hair tied in an unfussy bun. She was dressed in dull greys and browns, sleeves rolled up as if ready to tackle some practical task as soon as the act of greeting her niece was complete.

Her cousin, who at 19 was the same age as Rachael, was taller than her mother by several inches and had grown strikingly attractive in the three years since Rachael had last seen her.

Although her attire was as drab as her mother’s, Emily exuded vitality from her bright blonde hair, which hung in natural curls to her shoulders, to her beaming smile and stunning green eyes.