BORN BENEATH A WILLOW

West Sussex, Crawley County
Camille had been summoned by Headmistress Iris Prowse, and while waiting in the corridor, her mind wandered, imagining herself finally securing the coveted French teaching position. The elderly Miss Marrey was planning to retire to the countryside, leaving the post open-and Camille had dreamed of it for years.
But reality struck harshly. Instead of an offer, the headmistress told her she must leave San Thomas House, the orphanage where she had grown up.
"It's time for you to seek your path elsewhere. Don't worry-I'll write you a recommendation letter to help you find a good position."
Dismissed in just a few words and told she must leave the very next day, Camille faced a future that seemed suddenly uncertain and frightening.
Seeing her despair, Sister Kate suggested she travel to London to find Sybil Lever, a former student who had made her fortune in the city.
Hoping for guidance and opportunity, Camille set out for London-but what awaited her was far from what she imagined. Sybil Lever had lied all along, and Camille found herself confronting a harsh, impoverished, and shocking reality. To survive and carve out even a modestly acceptable future, she would have to fight-determined to overcome the obstacles life had thrown in her way.