Legends of the Lost Lilies
Page 43
Without Angela’s formidable help, both personal and professional, almost from the first books I wrote, my career as a writer simply wouldn’t be. Back when Rain Stones was first published there was no ‘spell check’; nor is there anyone else I know whose knowledge is as eclectic and passionate as my own, and in much the same areas, but thankfully, not quite overlapping, so Angela’s widely varied expertise appears in all these books too.
Errors, of course, are mine, and there will be errors, even if no one ever finds out what they are, as so much of what must be added to make a complete story is what might have been, not what was written down, or what has still not been released from archives. This is why these books are fiction, even if all are based on real events, hidden at the time and for decades after. I don’t want to write ‘he said’ ‘she said’ for real people, unless I am sure that is what they said, in exactly those circumstances, and why. Non-fiction also needs to cover times where the events might have been dangerous, but at the same time were repetitious and boring. Fiction has the freedom to be fascinating.
I hope Miss Lily would approve.
MEET MISS LILY AND HER LOVELY LADIES . . .
BOOK 1
Inspired by true events, this is the story of how society’s ‘lovely ladies’ won a war.
Each year at secluded Shillings Hall, in the snow-crisped English countryside, the mysterious Miss Lily draws around her young women selected from Europe’s royal and most influential families. Her girls are taught how to captivate a man — and find a potential husband — at a dinner, in a salon, or at a grouse shoot, and in ways that would surprise outsiders. For in 1914, persuading and charming men is the only true power a woman has.
Sophie Higgs is the daughter of Australia’s king of corned beef and the only ‘colonial’ brought to Shillings Hall. Of all Miss Lily’s lovely ladies, however, she is also the only one who suspects Miss Lily’s true purpose.
As the chaos of war spreads, women across Europe shrug off etiquette.
The lovely ladies and their less privileged sisters become the unacknowledged backbone of the war, creating hospitals, canteens and transport systems where bungling officials fail to cope. And when tens of thousands can die in a single day’s battle, Sophie must use the skills Miss Lily taught her to prevent war’s most devastating weapon yet.
‘The story is equal parts Downton Abbey and wartime action, with enough romance and intrigue to make it 100% not-put-down-able.’
Australian Women’s Weekly
THE WAR IS OVER, BUT CAN THERE EVER TRULY BE PEACE?
BOOK 2
Australian heiress Sophie Higgs was ‘a rose of no-man’s land’, founding hospitals across war-torn Europe during the horror that was WWI.
Now, in the 1920s, Sophie’s war-time work must be erased so that the men who returned can find some kind of ‘normality’.
Sophie is, however, a graduate of the mysterious Miss Lily’s school of charm and intrigue, and once more she risks her own life as she attempts to save others still trapped in the turmoil and aftermath of war.
But in this new world, nothing is clear, in politics or in love. For the role of men has changed too. Torn between the love of three very different men, Sophie will face her greatest danger yet as she attempts an impossible journey across the world to save Nigel, Earl of Shillings — and her beloved Miss Lily.
In this sequel to the bestselling Miss Lily’s Lovely Ladies, Jackie French draws us further into a compelling story that celebrates the passion and adventure of an unstoppable army of women who changed the world.
‘If you’ve sped your way through The Crown and are looking for another historical drama fix to sink your teeth into, The Lily and the Rose is going to fast become your next obsession.’
New Idea
UNIMAGINABLE DANGER CREEPS EVER CLOSER TO MISS LILY AND HER LOVED ONES . . .
BOOK3
Amid the decadence and instability of Berlin in the 1920s, a band of women must unite to save all that is precious to them.
With her dangerous past behind her, Australian heiress Sophie Higgs lives in quiet comfort as the new Countess of Shillings, until Hannelore, Princess of Arneburg, charms the Prince of Wales. He orders Sophie, Nigel — and Miss Lily — to investigate the mysterious politician Hannelore insists is the only man who can save Europe from another devastating war.
His name is Adolf Hitler.
As unimaginable peril threatens to destroy countries and tear families apart, Sophie must face Goering’s Brownshirt Nazi thugs, blackmail, and the many possible faces of love.
And then the man she once adored and thought was lost reappears, and Sophie must also confront a vengeful girl, intent on killing the woman she believes is her mother: Miss Lily.
The third book in the Miss Lily series, The Lily in the Snow is a story filled with secrets that also explores the strength of friendship and the changing face of women in this new Europe.
‘With lots to say about women, relationships and power, The Lily in the Snow is all you could want in a book — smart, thought-provoking and endlessly engaging.’
Better Reading
AS THE KING OF ENGLAND WAVERS BETWEEN DUTY AND LOVE, SOPHIE MUST CHOOSE DUTY . . .
BOOK 4
The year is 1936 and the new King Edward VIII wishes to marry American divorcee, and suspected German agent, Wallis Simpson. Top-secret documents that the king must read and sign are being neglected for weeks, and some are even turning up in Berlin.
And as Germany grows its military might with many thousands of new fighter planes every year, Britain and its empire are under increasing threat.
Can Miss Lily’s most successful protege, Sophie Vaile, the Countess of Shillings, seduce the new king, prevent his marriage to Wallis Simpson, and turn him from fascism?
And if a man can sacrifice his life for his country, should a woman hesitate to sacrifice her honour?
Based on new correspondence found in German archives, Lilies, Love and Lies is a work of fiction.
Or is it?
In the fourth title in the Miss Lily series, Jackie French explores one of the most controversial events in history that saw the unthinkable happen when a king chose love over duty.
‘If you want a different take on the story of King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, then this is a must read . . .’
Better Reading
About the Author
JACKIE FRENCH AM is an award-winning writer, wombat negotiator, the 2014–2015 Australian Children’s Laureate and the 2015 Senior Australian of the Year. In 2016, Jackie became a Member of the Order of Australia for her contribution to children’s literature and her advocacy for youth literacy. She is regarded as one of Australia’s most popular authors and writes across all genres — from picture books, history, fantasy, ecology and sci-fi to her much loved historical fiction for many different age groups. ‘Share a Story’ was the primary philosophy behind Jackie’s two-year term as Laureate.
jackiefrench.com
facebook.com/authorjackiefrench
Copyright
Angus&Robertson
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, Australia
HarperCollínsPublishers
Australia • Brazil • Canada • France • Germany • Holland • Hungary India • Italy • Japan • Mexico • New Zealand • Poland • Spain • Sweden Switzerland • United Kingdom • United States of America
First published in Australia in 2021
by HarperCollinsPublishers Australia Pty Limited
ABN 36 009 913 517
harpercollins.com.au
Copyright © Jackie French 2021
The right of Jackie French to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000.
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the
prior written permission of the publisher.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of Australia
ISBN 978 1 4607 5500 6 (paperback)
ISBN 978 1 4607 0938 2 (ebook)
Cover design by Lisa White
Cover images: Woman © Ildiko Neer / Trevillion Images; flowers by istockphoto.com