Gently reared Martin finds himself adrift without means when his uncle goes bankrupt with gambling debts. He seeks a livelihood as tutor to the young children of an earl on a remote Welsh estate. Arriving on a dark and stormy night that sets the tone for his whole adventure, he falls into intrigue, mystery, and powerful new loves -- for the three traumatized children and their enigmatic guardian.<br><br>Dylan has been called back from service in South Africa when his elder brother supposedly finds his wife with another man, kills the pair and then himself. He’ll now have to assume most duties of the earldom, raise his nephew to majority and care for three orphaned children. Desperate for help, he hires a young man sight unseen to become their tutor while he works to uncover the facts of the scandalous tragedy that tore apart his family. Both matters reveal surprising results.

Dark and Stormy

“I’ve never had an opportunity to mention it, but I’ve encountered a mysterious man, twice in fact. Is this Merlan a very tall and large man?”


Dylan shook his head. “No, he’s rather shorter than I am, though a bit on the stocky side. Tell me more about your encounters.”


Martin hesitated and then went on. “He seems a large man. Both times I saw him, he was riding an enormous black horse. I would think a stallion. Though the beast is powerful and strong, the rider had no trouble controlling him. Both times, he…Well, the first time was the night I was to arrive. The coach lost a wheel and I later heard a bridge had washed out just ahead. The accident was indeed a blessing. Anyway, he snatched me out of the conveyance and brought me here through a raging storm. The second time, more recently, I’d been hiking while the children were away on their holiday. I became lost and stumbled onto a hut where he was apparently resting or waiting for someone. He brought me home then a second time.”


Chapter 13