Borrowed Feathers

When Annette Clifford's godmother, Mrs. Worsley, arrives unexpectedly at the shabby Clifford household, she finds a girl who has become its cheerful heart—managing servants, smoothing over shortages, and masking hardship with wit. Over tea in a neglected "den" made lovely by Annette's quick hands, the two women speak candidly of pride, poverty, and the strain of keeping up appearances, while Annette quietly reveals how little comfort her life at Heydon Hill has allowed her. Yet Mrs. Worsley's visit brings more than sympathy: she secures Annette's long-denied chance to join the holiday at Broadlands, and with it comes the promise of new clothes, new hope, and a glimpse of a wider, brighter world. There, amid warmth, beauty, and family affection, the tender romance between Annette and Arthur Boyd deepens through misunderstanding, longing, and near-missed confession. In the end, his admiration for her modesty, truth, and kindness wins its reward, and their engagement affirms the novel's gentle belief that true worth lies in character, not finery. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.