At the age of nineteen, Vere Rowland returned to England there to live at the Great Gatehouse- the centuries old Lake District home of the Halbertson family, where her mother was housekeeper. Having spent the past twelve years within the restrictive confines of a Belgian convent, her chance meeting on the journey home with Laurence Bracknell was as pleasant as it was unexpected. It transpired that Laurence lived within a short distance of the Great Gatehouse and knew the Halbertsons well. But this coincidence led to some troublesome questions. Why should Vere's mother be so distressed on learning of her daughter's meeting with him? Why should any mention of the past be so taboo? And what was the mystery that hung over the Great Gatehouse? Before the answers to these questions were known, there was much to be borne and much to be suffered-but then, life is never easy when you're in love.