1891: The rich, aristocratic Fairbairn family have occupied Lochlee Castle in Argyllshire for the past five hundred years. The present head of the family, the Earl of Rothbury, is celebrating joyous times with the engagement of his second daughter, Laura. Joined by his wife, two sons, and eight other daughters, all seems set for a happy future for the Fairbairns, until someone with a grudge against the Earl visits the nearby Rowen Tree, which the Scots believe to hold magical powers, and curses the family, wishing them all appalling unhappiness. Soon it seems the whole family is doomed, with tragedy and heartbreak around every corner. Can the surviving Fairbairns show bravery in adversity and carve out happy and successful lives, against all odds?

In this dazzling stand-alone sequel to The Fairbairn Girls, a new generation of the Fairbairn family must confront - and overcome - life's difficulties as war looms. 1913: The aristocratic Fairbairns are reunited for Christmas when Lady Rothbury's daughter Diana invites the whole family to her estate. Laura, now a successful dressmaker, is the first to arrive with her daughter, Caroline, followed by Lady Rothbury, her five other daughters and their families. But as the New Year approaches, the family's happy reunion is about to be shattered. Affairs, war and tragedy are all on the horizon for the Fairbairn girls, who must negotiate new heartbreak and hardship. Will Caroline, who shows great talent as a ballet dancer, find her moment to shine? Are separations as irrevocable as they appear? Love, loss, forgiveness and joy thread through the lives of the Fairbairn family - but who will get their happy ending?

This is the enthralling new novel from a bestselling storyteller. When beautiful debutante Cathryn Brocklehurst meets dashing aristocrat Nicolas Abingdon, it is love at first sight, even though he is some twenty years older than her. Cathryn's parents are vehemently against the match, for Nicolas has been married before. The besotted couple defy parental opposition and society's disapproving whispers to wed, but their happiness is short-lived. The body of a young child is found in woodland on the Abingdon estate, stirring memories of the mysterious disappearance of a laundry-woman's daughter. As police and press descend upon Buckland Place, long-buried grudges and simmering family feuds come to the surface, threatening all that Cathryn holds most dear.

In this dazzling stand-alone sequel to The Fairbairn Girls, a new generation of the Fairbairn family must confront - and overcome - life's difficulties as war looms. 1913: The aristocratic Fairbairns are reunited for Christmas when Lady Rothbury's daughter Diana invites the whole family to her estate. Laura, now a successful dressmaker, is the first to arrive with her daughter, Caroline, followed by Lady Rothbury, her five other daughters and their families. But as the New Year approaches, the family's happy reunion is about to be shattered. Affairs, war and tragedy are all on the horizon for the Fairbairn girls, who must negotiate new heartbreak and hardship. Will Caroline, who shows great talent as a ballet dancer, find her moment to shine? Are separations as irrevocable as they appear? Love, loss, forgiveness and joy thread through the lives of the Fairbairn family - but who will get their happy ending?