After a fruitless summer, Martha Leigh has resigned to the fact she must earn her own living. She travels a great distance, to the Cornish moors, for her first assignment arranged by Aunt Adelaide. Alvean TreMellyn is in need of a governess as most motherless girls are but does not go out of her way to welcome the new authority figure. As Martha takes cautious steps to reign in the child's fickle whims, she discovers the details of the tragic former Mistress of Mellyn, Alice and Alvean's younger half sister.

† "May I look at your palm?"

I hesitated. Could I offer my hand to a stranger in this way?

He smiled. "I assure you that my only desire is to look into the future." He leaned forward and with a swift movement secured my hand. He held it lightly, contemplating it. "I see," he said, "that you are moving into a strange new world. You will have to exercise caution... the utmost caution."

I smiled cynically. "You see me taking a journey. What would you say if I told you I was visiting relatives?"

"I would say that you were not a very truthful young lady." His smile was puckish. I could not help liking him. "No," he went on, "you are traveling to a new life, a new post. You are going to a strange house, a house full of shadows. You have to earn your living. I see a child there and a man... There is someone else there... but perhaps she is already dead."

The deep sepulchral note in his voice momentarily unnerved me. I snatched my hand away. "What nonsense!"

He ignored me and half closed his eyes. "You will need to watch little Alice, but your duties will extend beyond the care of her. You must most certainly beware of Alice."

I felt a tingling creep up my spine. Little Alice! But her name was Alvean. Then I felt angry. Did I look the part already? The penurious gentlewoman turned governess!

† A hour passed as we stood looking at the ball, and I fancied that Connan glanced up once or twice. Alvean watched the dances breathlessly. It was now dark, but a great gibbous moon had risen. I looked up at it through the glass roof... You are banished from the gaiety and the glitter, it seemed to say, but I will give you my soft and tender light instead. The room, touched my moonlight, took on an almost supernatural quality. I felt that in such a room anything might happen.

I turned my attention back to the dances. They were waltzing now and I found myself swaying to the rhythm.

When I felt a hand touch mine, I was so startled that I gave an audible gasp. I looked down. Standing beside me was Gillyflower. "You have come to see the dancers?" I said. She nodded and I moved a stool over so she could reach the peep.

Avlean did not seem to want to look now that Gilly had come. She moved away, and as the musicians began the opening bars of "The Blue Danube." she began to dance across the solarium. The music affected my feet too. I danced toward Alvean, waltzing as I used to in London ballrooms, and Alvean cried out, "Go on, Miss Leigh! Don't stop!"

So I went on dancing with an imaginary partner, with the moon smiling in at me. And when I reached the end of the rooma figure moved toward me...

† "Mistress of Mellyn" © 1960 by Victoria Holt
Review by Chloe O'Farrell © 2004