Eliot’s romantic life was less than orthodox for the time period she lived in; it was even unconventional for the 21st century. After she had moved to London and started working with the Westminster Review, she met an editor named George Henry Lewes in 1854 who  eventually became her mentor and romantic companion. They lived as husband and wife even though Lewes was already married. Lewes was unable to divorce his previous wife because of religious restrictions. Of course, their relationship was considered sinful and morally wrong by a large part of society surrounding them. This relationship caused a rift between her and her brother, Isaac. This familial tie wasn’t reestablished until later on in their lives. Eliot worried that the nature of her relationship to Lewes might hurt her book sales, which is one of the many reasons she wrote under a male pseudonym. 

Atlas, Nava. “George Eliot, Author of Middlemarch.” Literary Ladies Guide, 12 July 2012, https://www.literaryladiesguide.com/author-biography/george-eliot/.