Widows and Maidens
Tiffany Hepworth · Ongoing · 39.5k Words
Introduction
Anne is forced to live under Bertha's wing, answering to her at all times. When Anne's head is turned by the young dashing Sheldon, she must face some difficult life decisions of lust and success. But will her head be turned by somebody more suitable? Witness Anne, Wilma and Anne's best friend Mildred on their wild early 20th century adventures of romance, drama, tragedy and sorrow in a tale of widows and maidens. With tragedy and disgrace around every corner, will Anne get the fullfilling life that she deserves?
Chapter 1
In a small modest room with blooming flowers in each corner and a large stylish desk in front of the window, Anne Spenbourne entered not knowing her fate. She sat on the spare chair in front of the desk.
‘Why am I here, Auntie?’ she asked, impolitely whilst removing a floral glove from her hand. She failed to stop a large sigh from escaping her mouth. Bertha sat with her hands firmly crossed upon the desk and managed to not move a muscle in her face.
‘I brought you here to discuss your father’s will. Seeing as you were not allowed to attend the reading of his will, I thought I would tell you that he has left everything to me.’ She leaned forward on her antique wooden chair as she spoke with a smug smile replacing her look of misery. Anne looked away and sniggered to herself, her poker face only just managed to hide the shock horror that she was forced to feel.
The air was filled with silence until Betha decided to continue.
‘You are far too young to have everything, he could not trust you with that responsibility.’ Bertha announced, believing she knew what was right for her deceased brother and her young niece. Anne shook her head and couldn’t believe the audacity of her Auntie.
‘I have just come of age, 17. Therefore, I am old enough and dare I say wise enough to take care of anything. I have a younger sister of 14 to take care of as you well know. None of us have spoken to you in so long, why would he leave everything to you? Everyone knows how much he despised you.’ Anne explained, hoping for a reaction just to get under her skin.
Bertha burst into a heap of laughter that she couldn’t seem to control. She slammed her hand down on the desk to flaunt her authority and she threw herself up from her seat in anger.
‘Because he had no choice! He may have hated me, but he could not leave everything to you. He told me himself in a letter that he just could not trust you because of your past. It's as simple as that. Life is cruel, accept it and move on.’ As she finished speaking, Anne also raised from her seat and headed for the office door. Bertha stormed over and aggressively placed her hand on the door handle.
‘Before you leave there was one other thing. He ordered you and your sister to come and stay with me.’ Bertha said. Anne couldn't help but cross her arms and produce a mocking laugh.
‘I do not care what he wanted, he is gone now. He has no control over me. I am old enough to take care of myself and my own home. I am not leaving the house I grew up in.’ Anne stated in an authoritative tone. Bertha remained quiet and for a second, Anne believed she had won. But a second was such a short time.
‘Say what you will but I now have full control of your life. You cannot go back to that gorgeous country house because it is currently up for sale. You see, when I said he left me everything, he also left me his house and it is worth hundreds of thousands. So, you either move in here or you go and tell your beloved sister that you are both homeless.’ Bertha said, leaving Anne no choice.
Before Anne had the chance to think, Bertha continued. ‘We must get to know each other if we are to be living together. You must attend my ball this evening, to celebrate the year 1900. A brand-new century always means a brand-new beginning.’ Bertha said. Anne noticed a sudden cheeriness in her voice that only appeared when she had won a battle.
‘It has been a new century for a month now it is almost February. I hope this party of yours is not for my sake?’ Anne asked curiously. Bertha used an unconvincing smile to reply.
Anne looked upon her Aunt Bertha with disappointment and enragement, but she knew nothing further could be done. She left the four-story mansion and went home to gather her belongings and be back for the ball tonight. Bertha watched her young niece leave her office and then she walked down to her lounge and began to read one of her fathers’ books. She was disturbed by a loud knock on her front door. She carried her body proudly with her nose pointing towards the ceiling, her stride was drowning in confidence. Bertha opened the front door and greeted the man standing there with a pleasant smile, they then walked through to the lounge together and sat comfortably together.
‘Sheldon, what a pleasant surprise.’
‘Bertha, it's so nice to see you, it's been too long. I hope you do not mind me visiting you.’
‘Of course not, what can I do for you? My my! You are very handsome just as I remember!’
‘Thank you, my father says my looks improve by the hour. But I am still short of a bride to do my bidding.’
‘You are still seeking a bride? With the amount of pretty maidens in this town?’
‘Absolutely! The ladies around here are not to my liking I am afraid. And I tell the truth when I tell you that I have tried a lot of them. But I am looking for someone special, unique. I grew up with people around here. They are adequate for fun but not wife material.’
‘I may have a solution to your problem. I have two niece’s coming to live with me. I believe you never got around to meeting them as me and my brother had a bit of a falling out so we lost contact. But you can meet them both at the ball tonight. One is sweet and innocent and the other, well she has too many opinions and is overly flirtatious with a dark side. I know which one you shall choose. You need someone pure and angel-like.’
‘Well, I look forward to meeting them. What a grand night it will be!’
Last Chapters
#28 Chapter 28
Last Updated: 1/15/2026#27 Chapter 27
Last Updated: 1/15/2026#26 Chapter 26
Last Updated: 1/15/2026#25 Chapter 25
Last Updated: 1/15/2026#24 Chapter 24
Last Updated: 1/15/2026#23 Chapter 23
Last Updated: 1/15/2026#22 Chapter 22
Last Updated: 1/15/2026#21 Chapter 21
Last Updated: 1/15/2026#20 Chapter 20
Last Updated: 1/15/2026#19 Chapter 19
Last Updated: 1/15/2026
You Might Like 😍
Bride To The Werewolf King
Bloodright
Ashveil University is not what it looks like in the photographs. The students here carry something that shifts their eyes at the edges of anger. The northwest trees hold an attention that trees should not be able to hold. And the empty chair at the council table, the one nobody sits in, the one nobody explains, has been waiting three hundred years for one specific person to arrive.
Nobody told Adaline she was that person. They classified her as Dormant. A blank space in a file. Nothing.
She is the opposite of nothing.
Beneath the campus, three ancient entities are waking up. Every house in the pack world wants to control what runs in her blood. The boy sent to assess her has stopped being able to do his job. And the woman who has been three steps ahead of everyone since before Adaline was born is not a villain. She is a warning. She is what Adaline would have become if nobody had found her.
The suppression field holding everything together is failing. The clock is running. And the only way to stop what is coming requires Adaline to give up the thing she can least afford to lose.
She already knows her answer. She decided before anyone told her the full price.
The rejected white luna
The Spy Who Left
"I still can't believe she actually did it. Aria Hart, filing for divorce. Who saw that coming?"
"How long do we think it'll take before she comes crawling back?" Another voice joins the conversation.
"Three days," Victoria declares. "Five at most. She has no money, no skills, no family. Where's she going to go?"
When Aria Chen divorced billionaire Leon Hart, New York's elite sneered, betting she'd crawl back within days. She never did.
Three years later, the world is rocked when Dr. Aria Vale, CEO of a revolutionary cybersecurity empire, steps into the spotlight. The mysterious genius who built a billion-dollar company from nothing is none other than Leon's discarded wife, the woman everyone thought was just a pretty ornament.
Now, every powerful man wants the queen Leon threw away a renowned scientist seeking partnership, a financial titan proposing an empire, and an actor offering devotion. Each sees the brilliance Leon ignored.
Then Leon discovers the truth: Aria's sacrifices, her secret double life, and the daughter she's been raising without him. For the first time, the man who once took her for granted must fight for her love. But can he compete with men who valued her from the beginning?
A story of love, betrayal, and power where the king must kneel before the queen who never needed saving.
Let Them Kneel
Cast out by her pack. Forgotten by the Lycans.
She lived among humans—quiet, invisible, tucked away in a town no one looked at twice.
But when her first heat comes without warning, everything changes.
Her body ignites. Her instincts scream. And something primal stirs beneath her skin—
summoning a big, bad Alpha who knows exactly how to quench her fire.
When he claims her, it’s ecstasy and ruin.
For the first time, she believes she’s been accepted.
Seen.
Chosen.
Until he leaves her the next morning—
like a secret never to be spoken.
But Kaelani is not what they thought.
Not wolfless. Not weak.
There is something ancient inside her. Something powerful. And it’s waking.
And when it does—
they’ll all remember the girl they tried to erase.
Especially him.
She’ll be the dream he keeps chasing… the one thing that ever made him feel alive.
Because secrets never stay buried.
And neither do dreams.
Ex-Wife, Current Wife
For three years, she lived in the shadow of a loveless marriage. She was the woman everyone loved to hate, the one who supposedly "stole" him from his first love. She endured his cold indifference, raised their son—who struggles with a speech impediment—in silence, and traded her own brilliant career for the thankless role of a trophy wife.
But when his long-lost love returns, she is unceremoniously pushed aside to make room for the "real" family.
Enough was enough.
After he publicly humiliates her and chooses the mistress’s daughter over his own son during a birthday party, something inside her finally snaps. She doesn't just want out of the marriage; she wants her life back. With a secret talent for design and a newfound resolve, she walks away from the gilded cage of his estate.
But as she rises from the ashes of her failed marriage to reclaim her status as a top-tier designer, he realizes the woman he treated as a disposable pawn was the only one who truly held his world together.
Now, the woman who once begged for his attention is no longer looking back. Will he be able to earn her forgiveness, or is he finally too late?
Tango 2 the Alpha's Heart
My gaze snapped to his. He was smiling, causing my heart to skip a painful beat. Before I could respond, the music began, and my body instinctively reacted to the sweet melody.
I found myself molded to Lex's will, my feet irresistibly following the dance steps.
The crowd gasped as Lex pulled me into a more intimate position, his hands roaming over my body in a seductive manner.
The experience was both terrifying and magical, allowing me to feel every longing emotion through the dance.
I soon found myself lost in his arms.
When the music finally stopped, my arms were wrapped around his neck, his hands resting on my back, our noses almost touching. He gazed deeply into my eyes.
The ballroom fell silent.
Was he about to kiss me?
Lilly’s life was never easy; she lost her memory and family in a blazing fire. Angelica found and took her in—only to make her a slave to the household.
Years of torment and abuse left Lilly weak, vulnerable, and believing she was without a wolf, but that didn't mean that all hope was lost.
At night, in her dreams, he would patiently wait for her—the man who brought sunshine into her darkest moments.
They would dance the night away, but as dawn approached, he would vanish into the morning sun.
Lilly had given up hope of finding a mate, having a family, and leading a normal life.
But things are about to drastically change for her...
Secrets, lies, betrayal... and a baby on the way.
What if Lilly wasn't wolf-less? What if it was all a lie?
What if she had a living family? Would she stay and bond with them or make a run for freedom?
The MC Hacker’s Stolen Princess
She did not come to find out her father had promised her to another man.
As the only daughter of Shane “Rook” Rourke, president of the Lost Coast Renegades MC, Taryn has always known club business comes first. But when Rook signs a treaty with the dangerous president of Iron Mesa, he crosses a line even she never imagined.
Safe passage through Arizona territory comes with a price.
Her.
Kellan Stroud is thirty, powerful, ruthless, and already waiting at Sturgis to meet the woman he expects to marry.
Taryn wants no part of him, no part of the agreement, and definitely no part of a future chosen for her by two men who think a signature is enough to decide where she belongs.
Then she meets Bobby Fuentes.
At twenty, Bobby is one of the youngest fully patched members of the Sons of Doom MC. He is quiet until he has something to say, dangerous when he needs to be, and smart enough to get into places no one else can. Hacking is what he does best.
Until Taryn gives him a new problem to solve.
One reckless connection at Sturgis becomes something neither of them can ignore, and when Bobby realizes exactly what Rook has promised away, walking away stops being an option.
But stealing another president’s future wife is not a misunderstanding.
It is an insult.
A betrayal.
And in the MC world, it can mean war.
Taryn refuses to be anyone’s property.
Bobby has never been good at following rules.
And Kellan Stroud does not forgive what he believes belongs to him.
The road out of Sturgis may cost them everything first.
Faking It With My Worst Enemy On Ice
But on his birthday, everything falls apart when his girlfriend exposes Clare's most humiliating secret in front of the entire team.
Just when Clare is ready to disappear, Rhys Calloway, her worst enemy and the team's arrogant captain, pulls her into his arms and tells everyone she is his girlfriend.
She should have pushed him away, but she kissed him back instead.
Now Clare is locked into a two-month fake relationship with the most infuriating man she has ever met, trying to get over a stepbrother who never cared and survive a captain who makes her forget why she was supposed to hate him.
The problem is that Rhys kisses like he means every single second of it, and just when Clare starts to move on, Zane decides he wants her back.
One girl, two hockey players, and a heart that was never supposed to feel this much. Will she choose the stepbrother who broke her or the enemy who caught her when she fell?
MOONLIT CHASE
But no, I had to walk through the park at midnight like an idiot. Now I've seen something I can't unsee—a massive black wolf tearing apart three men, then shifting into the hottest guy I've ever laid eyes on.
Kieran Vaughn. Wealthy lawyer, werewolf, and apparently, he thinks I'm his mate.
Here's the problem: I don't do relationships. I definitely don't do supernatural things. I absolutely don't do rich guys who think they can control my life just because their inner wolf has decided I smell like home.
When hunters start targeting me to get to him, Kieran drags me into his pristine penthouse for "protection." Now I'm living with a man who looks at me like I'm his last meal, whose touch sets my skin on fire, and who's barely holding onto his control.
He says everyone he loves dies. I say that's not my problem except it is because I'm falling for this broken, dangerous man and his beast.
And in his world? Love will get you killed.
BROKEN TRUST
Neither of them knew she was carrying his child.
Emily’s affair didn’t just end her marriage—it erased the life she thought was guaranteed. Ryan left without looking back, carrying his anger like armor and leaving Emily alone with regret she would never outrun. Three years later, fate drags them back into each other’s world, along with a little girl who has Ryan’s eyes and a truth that shatters everything he thought he knew.
Old wounds reopen, grief masquerades as rage, and love refuses to stay buried. As parenthood binds them together and the past demands accountability, Emily and Ryan must face the question neither of them is ready to answer: is broken trust the end of their story… or the beginning of a love forged through loss, forgiveness, and brutal honesty?
The Legacy Game
When scholarship student Chris Linds stumbles onto a mystery someone has killed to protect, she becomes the next target. The only person standing between her and death is Ashen Ford, the academy's cold, untouchable Student Council President—and heir to one of Corvain's founding families.
As anonymous invitations summon twelve students into the legendary Legacy Game, alliances fracture, secrets surface, and every challenge brings another deadly truth to light. But the greatest secret isn't who will win.
It's why one winner vanished without a trace... and why someone will do anything to make sure history repeats itself.
