When a stranger comes to Fellsworth School, everything begins to change . . . including the stranger.
Annabelle Grayson has it all--beauty, wealth, and wit, but when her guardian brother loses their fortune, he insists that she marry his colleague to help restore his business--a colleague she knows is involved in illegal activities. She sees only one way out of the dangerous situation: she escapes from her home in London to the safety of her estranged uncle's home at the Fellsworth School.
Owen Stratford, a widower, father, and gamekeeper at Amberton Park, is intrigued yet suspicious of the newcomer. His daughter, along with the townspeople, sings her praises, but something about this stranger is different. As the only person in town aware of her secret past, he determines to solve the mystery surrounding her in order to protect those he loves.
After settling into a new way of life, Annabelle falls for the humble gamekeeper and dreams of a future in this simpler life, and over time, Owen thinks he can trust Annabelle, despite the dark mystery shrouding her. But when Annabelle's brother learns of her whereabouts and blackmails her back into his world, she grows desperate. She wants to resist her brother's demands, but by remaining at the Fellsworth School she puts everyone in danger. When the unthinkable happens, only Owen can piece together the puzzle to set Annabelle free. When all comes to light, the two souls must come to terms with the secrets in the shadows before they can find peace and love in the light.
