Living hand to mouth ever since her mother’s tragic death, Amelia sells the last of her treasured possessions to avoid being cast out of her home onto London’s streets. Until recently I’ve also been doing the school run for my two granddaughters, but they are now old enough to look after themselves. Millie, the eldest, has just passed her driving test and is thoroughly independent. Talia is doing her GCSEs, and my two grandsons have no need of my driving skills. Suddenly I am redundant – but at least that gives me more time for writing.

I’m often asked by my readers about my writing day. So, let me tell you… I’m very much a morning person – I start at about 8.30 and go on until lunch time. Sometimes I get so immersed in the story that I forget everything and time passes so swiftly that, when I do stop, I can’t believe two or three hours have passed. I’ve been in another world inhabited by the characters that make up their own story. A dashing man I’ve thought of as the hero suddenly develops unattractive traits and upsets me as well as my heroine. At other times a rough diamond, who seemed destined to end up swinging from the scaffold in Newgate Prison, turns out to be an absolute charmer and I find myself falling in love with him, so the heroine has no chance of escape.Byearly afternoon I’ve done all my correspondence, paid some bills, and written a shopping list for groceries. Nothing very romantic about that, but absolutely necessary. After all thatI really have earned a cup of tea and those custard creams in the biscuit tin. Sitting at the computer for hours isn’t good for the figurethough,so Iusually takemy dog, Barley, for a walk instead – although he actually prefers riding in the car! He doesn’t care whether it’s a trip to the vet or to the car park close to the beach, he is a spaniel petrol head. He is also extremely greedy, and has learned how to use his big brown eyes to wheedle an early dinner from my unfailingly generous and extremely patient husband.

Her estranged grandfather unexpectedly bequeaths a small, struggling factory making mourning dresses and Amelia dares to dream… Drawing sketches by candlelight, she longs to sew elegant gowns from fine silks and beautiful ribbons for the rich. Don’t miss the next utterly romantic historical saga from the No.1Sunday Timesbestselling author Dilly Court!