An adventurous young woman is thrust into a real-life Gothic riddle. A dashing hero and his shadowy past are part of the mysterious puzzle!

Eleanor Blackwood is thrilled to spend time at her best friend’s country estate. On the banks of the River Great Ouse, Angsley Hall overflows with breathtaking natural beauty, as well as with a mystery or two.

Grayson O’Connor, caretaker of a nearby estate, is not immune to Eleanor’s charms. True, she still climbs trees and acts rashly, but she also has a captivatingly quick wit and joyful humor. An intriguing treasure hunt . . .

Danger becomes all too real in this quest based on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Gold Bug, with midnight intruders, shots in the dark, and a perilously swollen river cresting its banks. Unlike Poe’s story of pirate booty, Eleanor and Gray discover the greatest treasure is the precious human heart — theirs to cherish or to tear apart!

Note: This 50,000-word story was first published as part of the USA Today bestselling anthology The Midnight Hour: All Hallows' Brides in October 2019.)

Engaging characters, attention to period detail, and passionate romance with a touch of intrigue — you’ll find it all in the stories by USA Today bestselling author Sydney Jane Baily.