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

Late that evening, Martin sat by Dylan’s bedside and watched as the injured man began to come out of his drug-induced haze. First, Dylan stretched a bit. He winced when that movement pulled the stitches. Otherwise he seemed to be waking in a normal manner. He murmured something vague and then his eyes opened. He gazed around, confusion clear in his expression.


“My God, what happened?” Then he drew a deep breath. “Oh yes, another wound. I’ve been through this before. This is not an army hospital behind battle lines, though. It looks very familiar and much more luxurious.”


He turned to Martin, recognition and recall dawning in his face. “And you are here, which you would not be were this a field medical facility.” He paused, clearly absorbing the rushing tide of more recent memories. “Are the children all right?”


Chapter 23