Arriving at her marital home in the depths of the Black Forest, Aldine settles into life with her new husband and his family. But the peaceful facade of the Graven family mansion hides secrets. Primary is that she is not the first new bride her husband has brought home.

Inheriting a fine house is a blessing, even a house along the wild and unruly coast of the North Sea. Along with her brother, Vivienne Harcourt joins their friend Archibald to take possession of the wind-swept property, seemingly at the ends of the earth. Also attending the house party is the mysterious and withdrawn Lord Routledge, whose detached presence makes Vivienne both unsettled and curious. Under the watchful gaze of the previous owner’s portrait, the dour Miss Trubright, the house’s isolation frays nerves and tests friendships, and true characters emerge. Heat Safe for the more modest.