A Perilous Bargain

Oriel Banning is a paid companion to spoiled American debutante Neecy McPhail. As they travel shipboard to England to meet Neecy's fiance, Oriel has a fateful encounter with tycoon Morgan Drummond, also on his way to meet his fiance. Once they arrive in England, Oriel suddenly finds that her services are no longer needed as soon as Neecy's wedding is over. Alone with no family, friends, or money, Oriel starts trying to find work so that she can afford to return to America. Again encountering Drummond, he proposes a plan that will be of mutual benefit to both of them. Financially unable to turn down his offer, Oriel accepts his plan, which includes a year-long stay at his ancestral castle in Ireland. Once there, it becomes extremely obvious that someone is trying to frighten and maybe even kill Oriel. Is it the unfriendly housekeeper Mrs. Nesbit? Or perhaps her maid Molly, who loves to indulge in the village gossip? It could even be the ghost of Shaleen O'Connor itself, coming back to haunt the castle and rid it of its present occupants. As Oriel struggles with the frightening reality that someone does not want her around, Morgan becomes more and more distant and unfriendly. Even Oriel's new friends, the Wicklows and poet Bryan Moore, no longer seem as friendly as they were. Although Oriel realizes that someone is trying to scare her away, she knows that she must stay in Ireland because she has made a perilous bargain. This book is a must-read for people who like mysteries and stories of faith that carries one through difficult times.

Now HERE is a unique book. It is different than several others of it's kind. Although I'm not into mysteries, this one was great. I love the romance part of it. I think that stories where they are forced into marriage without love are interesting because they learn to love.