PROLOGUE (Part 1)

Eleven year Louisa O'Mara 's young life is torn apart when she loses both her parents, and is abandoned in an orphanage . But thanks to the kind Benefactor the Reverend John Phillips an old family friend of her mother's, she finds herself reunited with her Maternal estranged family But her mother's Uncle Joseph, whom she goes to live with, has not forgiven his sister for bringing shame on the family by eloping with Henry O'Mara, Louise's father ,whom they had deemed highly unsuitable and a bad match, and years on he still he blames her actions for the early death of his father, So he has no time for his niece Louisa.

But his ill wife Katherine, unhindered by the scandal of the past, sees it as their Christian duty that they take in, Louisa insisting that she will be good company for their seven year old daughter Rosemary, and so Louisa begins a new life as the poor orphaned older cousin who is never quite accepted by the family, and must navigate an uncertain future when her younger cousin Rosemary is of marriable age and is all set for her coming out in London, with Louisa tagging along as her companion during the season. Rosemary insists she will be the hit of the season, and her love for having her rival suitors fight over her hand, draws the reluctant Louisa into an unlikely friendship with The Duke of Crayford's eldest son Alex. But can their new found friendship become anything more. After all, everyone knows that the future Duke has shown no interest in finding a wife since his betrothed left him at the alter. Instead he prefers to focus all his time and energy on his philanthropy and helping those less fortunate than himself. So is Rosemary right in her assumption that Alex only interest in her poorer orphaned relation Louisa, is because he pities her, and he sees her as one of his charity cases