A distant hero Book

As the twentieth century begins, the proud, talented Ashleighs struggle to escape the stern influence of their grandfather, General Sir Gilliard Ashleigh, owner of Knightshill and head of a family that has seen military service for thirteen generations. He is obsessed with the continuation of their noble line, but the grandson he regarded as his perfect heir died a hero's death, leaving his younger brother, an unacceptable successor. Val Ashleigh is in South Africa, after enlisting in a cavalry regiment following a schoolboy scandal involving an older woman. Hiding his true identity, Val has risen from the ranks and is set on gaining a hero's laurels to earn Sir Gilliard's forgiveness, and to emulate his renowned older brother, but it seems that the Boers are not Val's only enemies. Charlotte Ashleigh faces her empty future at Knightshill. The solution to her loneliness comes from an unexpected direction, but she soon faces opposition from Sir Gilliard.