Beatrice of old York

A bright‑eyed eleven‑year‑old from Boston arrives in the quiet Dorset town of Liddon, escorted by a strikingly dressed African woman. She insists on being called Bee Goode, despite the Haslem family’s expectation that she assume a different name. The locals stare, bewildered by her confident manner and the exotic turbans she wears, while the stagecoach driver fumbles over the mix‑up that has placed her in the path of a formidable English grandfather.

Soon Bee meets Ned Edgar, a young man of Quaker stock who drives her through the narrow streets toward the Haslem estate. Their conversation reveals a world divided by class and religion: the Haslem gentry, steeped in military tradition, clash with the modest, Methodist‑oriented community surrounding Ned. As Bee learns more about her absent father and the strained ties that bind her to this new country, the stage is set for a delicate friendship that will test loyalties and uncover hidden family histories.