When the Marquis of Meridale returns to his castle after many years away, numerous surprises await him. This castle has fallen into rack and ruin and there is an atmosphere of fear surrounding it and everyone in it. Another surprise was Arabella, a wispy, outspoken girl who had been sent to Meridale Castle to be a companion to Lady Beulah. But Arabella was as baffling as well as beautiful. Why did she shrink from his touch? Why did she never speak of her past? And what was the dark secret that explained the aura of dread in his once-happy home? As the answers start to unravel, Arabella finds herself locked in a web of deceit and intrigue. And as they are plunged into terrifying danger, does the Marquis have the key to win her love, and free her from her secret fear?