From the New York Times bestselling author and literary phenomenon V.C. Andrews ( Flowers in the Attic , My Sweet Audrina ) comes a shivery gothic tale of romance, class divisions, and the secrets that haunt families for generations. Ever since Fern could remember, she and her mother have lived as servants in Wyndemere House, the old gothic mansion of the Davenport family. She may have been a servant, but Fern developed a sweet friendship with Dr. Davenport’s son, Ryder, and she was even allowed free range of the estate. But Dr. Davenport has remarried and his new wife has very different ideas about a servant’s place. Now Fern and her mother are subject to cruel punishments, harsh conditions, and aren’t even allowed to use the front door. Yet, for all her wrath, the cruel woman cannot break the mysterious bond between Ryder and Fern. And when Ryder invites Fern to join his friends at prom, there’s nothing Mrs. Davenport can do to stop them nor can she continue to guard the secret that haunts the women of Wyndemere—but there’s nothing she won’t try. After all, reputation is everything.
New York Times bestselling author and literary phenomenon V.C. Andrews ( Flowers in the Attic , My Sweet Audrina ) presents the second book in the gothic saga of romance, class divisions, and the family secrets that began with House of Secrets . Fern and her mother have lived as servants in Wyndemere House, the old gothic mansion of the Davenport family, for as long as she can remember. And her friendship with Dr. Davenport’s son Ryder was never a problem…until they came of age. As cruel forces try to come between Fern and Ryder, what really holds the biggest threat to their happiness is the past, and the truths it threatens them with. For family intrigue and psychological chills, there is no author quite like V.C. Andrews.
A desperate young woman’s bargain with a wealthy couple is not what it seems. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author and literary phenomenon V.C. Andrews—whose books are now major Lifetime TV movies ( Flowers in the Attic , Heaven , Ruby )—comes a gothic tale of big city dreams gone wrong. The English countryside is beautiful, but for Emma Corey it cannot compare with the bright lights of New York City. Tired of performing only in pubs and at church, she announces she’s moving to America—and her conservative father disowns her on the spot. Distraught but undeterred, Emma will become a Broadway star—or die trying. Leaving the comforts of her youth is a thrilling adventure. The largeness of the city, her new friends, the boundless opportunities make everything shine with promise. However, New York has a way of chipping away at a newcomer’s resolve. First a robbery. Then a low-wage job. Then the realization that such a city attracts the young and the talented—competitors all. Just when it seems like Emma might have to admit defeat and return to the UK, she is introduced to a peculiar couple: a wife that cannot bear children of her own, and a husband who would pay Emma to solve that problem. Emma’s father once told her, “Money is life.” But when Emma trades one for the other and moves into the couple’s remote estate to participate in an elaborate ruse, there’s no telling what kind of life she’ll have once she’s taken the money.