The Governess

A governess with no past. A family with everything to lose…

1884. Oxfordshire.

When Florence arrives at the grand estate of Branleigh Park to take up her post as governess, the Spencer family believes she is a blessing — gentle with the children, well-spoken, and impeccably devout. But beneath the polished veneer of this perfect household, something is beginning to shift.

Lady Georgina senses it first: a presence, quiet but unsettling, winding its way through the nursery, the halls, and her husband’s thoughts. The children grow strangely attached to their new governess. The servants whisper of footsteps at night. As winter deepens and tensions rise within the house, Branleigh Park becomes a place of unease. Who is Florence? And what secret follows her like a shadow?

When tragedy strikes, the Spencers’ perfect world collapses. But some sins cannot be buried— they simply reawaken. Atmospheric, seductive, and deeply unsettling, The Governess is a gothic tale of madness, family and possession set in Victorian England.

Perfect for readers of Laura Purcell, Sarah Waters, Essie Fox, and Stacey Halls, this dark historical thriller will draw you into its spell and leave you questioning every whisper in the dark.