CHAPTER TENAs Davina rode out through the gates of Lark House, she anxiously scanned the black clouds on the horizon. They hung heavy and inert, but she decided that she could reach Priory Park long before the portended storm broke.
A mile or so along the road a young man hailed her and asked whether Lord Delverton was at home, for he had a letter to deliver to him. Davina hesitated and then replied that he was not at home but at Priory Park. Since that was her own destination, she added, she would be happy to take him the letter. The young man handed it over and Davina continued on her way.
Her heart sank as Priory Park hove into view.
The east wing was a blackened ruin. Charred timber and rubble was all that remained. An acrid smell hung in the air.
She found her father in the librar
