Tetherstones

"Tetherstones" by Ethel M. (Ethel May) Dell is a story from the early 1900s that explores love, giving up things for others, and fighting your own battles, focusing on Frances Thorold, a secretary controlled by a powerful Bishop. Frances feels torn between doing what she has to do and wanting something more for herself, especially when she starts to fall for Montague Rotherby, a man who makes her feel things she thought were gone. Early on, the story shows Frances working hard for the demanding Bishop, making her feel small and unimportant. Her days are long and hard, and her interactions with the Bishop show just how much power he has over her. The story begins a tug-of-war between what she wants personally and what she feels she needs to do, with a chance meeting with Rotherby suggesting a deeper connection and hinting at bigger struggles and feelings to come.