When Marion Garver arrives at the Thorne mansion, her presence sets into motion a downward spiral of one of the most prominent families in Virginia. While her dear father lay dying, Marion's mother informs her that their desperate situation calls for an even more desperate measure. Her mother tells her she must assume a fake last name and accept a governess position with the Thorne's, a mysterious family whose patriarch, Gabriel, is known around town for his taste in fine tobacco and his ferocious temper. Everyone suspects Gabriel may be responsible for his young wife's death years before. After delving further into the dark history of the family, Marion not only believes the suspicions but begins to unearth secrets of her own: why her mother made her assume a fake last name, what happened between her family and the Thorne's years before, and even the true identity of Thorne's eldest son, Loren. Armed with these disturbing truths, Marion must decide where to turn. Should she stay with the Thorne's and risk her own life in order to save her family? Or should she escape the twisting trap that binds her at the Thorne estate and return home, leaving behind the promise of a new love and guaranteeing her family's destruction? Her final decision is one that echoes with tragedy; a decision that will haunt them all forever.
About the Author: Angela Darling was born in Port Orchard, Washington in the summer of 1980 to Ray and Olivia Woods. Her mother's nose was always in a book while she was growing up, and this piqued her interest in reading. Soon she became an avid reader like her mother, immersing herself in fictional lands and characters' lives. Then the day came, when she was about 11 or 12, that she wondered what it would be like to create characters of her own. Her junior high school years were filled with as many creative writing classes as the school would allow her to take, joining every short story contest she could and placing one of the Top 3 spots in the class every time. During her teen years she began writing short horror stories for the mere pleasure of it. The short stories soon made way to her first full-length novel, "War," which she completed when she was just 18 years old. The novel revolved around a young girl coming of age during the advent of the Civil War. Her taste for horror and suspense never left however and soon her novels evolved into historical gothic family sagas. Angela's novels and short stories have been compared to the likes of V.C. Andrews, James Patterson and even the great Shirley Jackson. Angela now lives in the Seattle area with her husband, stepdaughter, and Yorkshire Terrier. She's an avid supporter of The Friends of the Seattle Public Library and is often found at the semi-annual sales with a suitcase and a ton of books in hand. Her favorite authors include Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Thoreau, and Kate Morton. Her other interests include Opera, theater, history, and genealogy. Angela's dream hobby is to become an antique book collector.