Cassandra Hale has lived her entire life in a girls’ school—first as a student and then as a teacher—with no knowledge of her parents’ identity. After the headmistress’s death, Cassandra discovers a letter addressed to her requesting that she visit Briarton Park in Yorkshire. Suspecting this request is a clue to her past, she leaves her position to pursue answers.Eager to escape the memories in Plymouth, widower James Warrington moves his entire family—his daughters, his sister, and his deceased wife’s mother—to Briarton Park, a stately home in Yorkshire, where he intends to revive a struggling textile mill. James faces numerous issues at the mill, but his dilemmas are nothing compared to the problems he faces at home. After foiling his sister’s plans to elope, he’s at a loss as to how to deal with her. Additionally, his mother-in-law struggles to control his young daughters, and he fears they may follow his sister’s path.When Cassandra journeys to Briarton Park, she is cautiously optimistic that her questions about her past will be answered, but when she arrives, she finds James at the helm, and he has no knowledge of the previous owners—or who sent the letter. After assisting in a rescue of James’s sister from a dangerous elopement, Cassandra assumes the position of governess to the girls, but when a suspicious murder occurs on the grounds, a mystery unfolds, and Cassandra and James find themselves pulled deeper and deeper into the secrets within the ancient home’s walls. Their search for answers will test the bounds of their faith and resolve, and in the end, they must rely on each other to not only protect the children in their care but also carve their future paths.
