The Legacy of Merton Manor — Dorothy Brenner Francis / Dorothy Francis

To Margo Landon, a willowy brunette, the name Cornwall had a special magic. She has often wondered what her mother's childhood home was like, and now she would be seeing Merton Manor for herself. On her deathbed Wanda Landon had made Margo promise to return a gold locket to Sir Henry Merton, Wanda's father, who had disowned her when she left the manor to get married.

But the joy of Margo's reunion with her mother's family was marred before she even left her home in New York. A recurrent nightmare plagued her, and the curt letter she received from her Aunt Katherine admonished her not to make the trip. Katherine Merton Noel was a celebrated novelist, and it was Margo's secret hope that her publicity-shy aunt would grant her an interview. Such a coup would do much to further her own career in publishing.

It was a dank, foggy evening when Margo arrived at Bodrevy Village, Cornwall. She felt somewhat reassured in the company of handsome, brooding Dan Taledon, but when Dan's care became mired, he had to leave her alone on the moor while he sought help. Unnerved by an eerie howling in the lonely distance, she found her way to the tenants' cottage, where old Mrs. Lanrith paled at the sight of her. Evidently Margo bore a startling resemblance to her Aunt Angela, Dan's wife and and dead five years.

When Sir Henry's foster son, craggy-featured artist Guilford Pease, finally arrived to escort her to Merton Manor, she was thoroughly shaken. Entering the massive stone house for the first time, meeting the chilling gaze of Mrs. Foster, the housekeeper, Margo knew that she had walked straight into danger.