"Treasure in the Attic" is the captivating start of the Elizabeth Ascot book series. In March 2020, after her career suffers a sudden collapse, fashion designer Lisa moves into a secluded cottage in Ascot. As she settles into her new home, a series of dramatic events unveils her remarkable past as the creative director of Santierre, one of the world's most renowned fashion brands. She was a close collaborator and confidante of the revered couturier Aron Santierre, who despite his French origins, established his fashion empire in Milan, rather than the expected choice of Paris. Mystery surrounds Lisa and Aron’s relationship and the circumstances leading to her departure from the fashion house. In her new home town, Agnes encounters Leo, the charismatic owner of a local eatery. As the world succumbs to the grip of the Covid-19 lockdown, Lisa becomes involved in Leo's initiative to distribute food to the locals and the two of them spend more and more time together. It seems that Lisa is finally regaining her footing, but an unforeseen event resurrects painful memories from her past, shaking her world once again. In the midst of grappling with fresh tragedy, Lisa discovers a mysterious travel trunk tucked away in the attic of her cottage. To her astonishment, the trunk contains the meticulously preserved notebooks of a former occupant dating back to 1862.
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In the aftermath of Queen Victoria's husband's death, a young woman from Portugal is grieving the loss of her beloved father as she arrives in Ascot and begins her new life as governess in an English country manor. Inspired by the remarkable stories she hears at the afternoon tea parties hosted by the lady of the house, she pens an intriguing account of women's lives in a man's world, striving for emancipation.
In “The Extraordinary Ladies of Ascot”, readers are whisked away to Victorian England in February 1862, just two months following the death of Queen Victoria's beloved husband Prince Albert. Amidst the mourning and melancholy that permeates the country, a young woman named Agnes Fernandes arrives in Ascot to work as governess for the wealthy Stanton family. Distraught over the sudden loss of her father and forced to leave behind her idyllic childhood in Portugal, Agnes finds solace in the warmhearted Lady Charlotte, whose lively afternoon tea parties become Agnes's gateway into the lives of the remarkable women residing in Ascot. From members of aristocratic families to progressive engineers' wives, bankers, government officers and artists, these gatherings serve as catalyst for bravery, solidarity and escape. Agnes begins chronicling the stories and events she encounters in her own words, hoping to make sense of the complex world of ideals, norms and emotions that surround her. Through her accounts, we witness acts of daring defiance, the pursuit of independence, and the struggle to reshape a world dominated by men.
“The Extraordinary Ladies of Ascot” becomes a unique and compelling coming-of-age story of a young woman who learns to navigate a man's world and the indomitable spirit of women constrained by tradition, whose achievements, though mostly hidden, proved to be transformative for British society.
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