In Victorian-era England, a young girl is rescued from a life of destitution and raised to become a proper British maid. Emma meets William, the eldest son of a wealthy family, and immediately falls in love with him. William shares her feelings, but the strict rules of their society prevent their relationship from ever coming out in the open. Traditional class distinctions and rich, historical details provide the backdrop for this appealing romance. Note: Volumes 8-10 are technically "Emma Bangaihen" or "Emma: Further Tales" and are mainly side-stories that focus on aspects of the story Mori-sensei couldn't cover during the original run of "Emma." - Won the Excellence Prize at the 2005 Japan Media Arts Festival in the manga division.
Emma is a completed manga by Mori Kaoru, first published in 2002. It blends historical, romance, drama and slice of life. You can read all 75 available chapters of Emma online for free on MangaPulse; the newest is Chapter 72.5, added 2018-02-02. The series is finished, so you can read it from start to end in one go.