Lady Rose's Daughter by Mary Augusta Ward (1851 - 1920)

"Julie Le Breton enchants almost everyone around her with her smart, charm, and excellent manners. She almost belongs to the English highest nobility, but just almost... Her parents, 2 aristocrats who ran away from England in order to be together, could never marry - because her mother was married to someone else. Therefore, she is forced to work for the cruel Lady Henry Delafield, who hates her. She has a few good friends, amongst whom are 2 admirers... And that is only the beginning. This is a compelling drama, set mostly in England, among the English aristocracy. By turns smart, funny and moving, it's the story of a strong and good woman- just trying to survive and make the correct choices. But sometimes, doing what is right doesn't make you happy. Only by giving up the man she loves, can Julie get the honorable place she deserves- beside a man whose strong love for her "saved" her.
This novel has been adapted for a play in Broadway in 1903 (the year in which it was published), and a silent film in 1920."
Summary by Stav Nisser.