"The vast, dense forest and murky lake that surround Cairncroft Abbey aren't the only menacing elements that envelop the estate. For a dark history lies behind its walls--where secrets and evil still linger... Catherine Weston arrives at Cairncroft Abbey to visit her childhood friend Madeline St. Aubyn whose health seems to deteriorate with each passing day. Even stranger, Madeline appears to grow more nervous whenever she is in the presence of her cousin, Gabriel. But Gabriel has quite a different effect on Catherine--stirring a longing deep within her... Gabriel St. Aubyn is haunted by the curse that has plagued his family for decades. Living with the constant torment that he too will succumb to it one day, he has resigned himself to a solitary existence. Yet when he meets Catherine, he cannot resist her company--or his growing desire for her. But when a wound woman is found dead, Catherine cannot ignore the link between this horrific crime and Gabriel. Is he the tender, charismatic man she loves--or a sinister stranger waiting to make her his next victim?"--p. [4] of cover.