The Admiral's House — Nan Asquith

Francis Sherwood had loved Dione deeply and unselfishly, content to accept her friendship when she told him she could never love him enough to become his wife. And it was in a spirit of affectionate friendship, and the knowledge that Francis had not long to live, that Dione had gone to Spain with him and been with him when he died there. When, soon afterwards, Dione learned that Francis had left her a villa on the island of Menorca, she was happy and grateful to accept it -- but it was another matter to convince the Sherwood family, and in particular Francis's arrogant cousin Mark, that the circumstances were not as they had imagined; that she had not been a gold-digger who had alienated Francis from his family and the girl they hoped he would marry. But after all, why should she care what Mark Sherwood thought of her?