Her kingdom : A story of the Westmoreland Fells

Anstice Barrett has spent most of her life sheltered within the walls of a Norfolk manor, blissfully unaware of the precarious finances that underpin her world. The sudden death of her father shatters that illusion, and a terse visit from a family lawyer reveals that she will survive on a scant yearly allowance, while the house itself teeters on the brink of mortgage foreclosure. Confronted with this stark reality, Anstice must summon a resolve she never imagined she possessed.

Leaving the comfort of the library’s mullioned windows, she steps into a cold, rain‑soaked March morning, feeling the wind lash at her face as if echoing the upheaval ahead. Determined to face the coming hardship, she walks the country road toward distant relatives, ready to learn what strength and ingenuity mean when the safety net of privilege is ripped away. The story follows her first courageous steps into a new, uncertain life.