Miriam Wakeford was full of hope when she arrived to take up her new appointment as needlewoman and companion in the bleak, windswept house of Tancred, high on the South Downs.Her strict Quaker upbringing was no preparation for the experiences which awaited her there...

John Tancred, a widower, was a mysterious, moody figure, frequently harsh and sometimes surprisingly kind.His young daughter, Esmee, seemed unbalanced...John Tancred's mother was an imperious old lady who ruled the decaying mansion from her wheelchair.Above all, the atmosphere was filled with the evil, violent presence of John's dead father, Richard, who by his excesses had brought ruin, infamy and tragedy to the name of Tancred.