Prologue

When approaching Forest Grange from almost any direction, few, if any, guests would have imagined that the beautiful property, and the ancient woods surrounding it, had ended up in the Trease family by way of an improper incident in the roof of the old barn many generations before.

Of course, Hopper Trease had no inkling at all that his quick thinking (which saved the reputation of a future monarch) would result in such a generous gesture on the part of the crown. But then again, it’s not every day that a gentleman headed for the throne found himself so close to being caught with his breeches down. Literally. Thus scandal was averted, and Royal gratitude came Hopper’s way via a surprise gift of considerable acreage, and a modest manor.

Hopper, in the meantime, had wed one of the milkmaids involved in the above-mentioned scandalous incident, and was thrilled to find himself raising a family in the grand surroundings of his own property.

And so the generations of Treases, having acquired the title of Viscount of Lesser Banthorpe (and a good chunk of the county, including the entire village of Lesser Banthorpe), continued to multiply and thrive in their treasured home, amongst some of the finest forested land in the country.

The current Viscount, Lord Hawthorn Trease, along with his wife Hazel, has raised four children. Ashe, the eldest, is now married and in residence at Forest Grange, Cherry, the first daughter, recently wed the Duke of Belcaster and lives at Belcaster Hall. The twins, Holly and Willow, as of this writing, are single.

Yes, all the children bear the names of trees. It’s tradition and lets the family get a little ahead on the numerous jests about their surname. (That’s their story and they’re sticking to it.)

Holly Trease has shrugged off such jests for years, as has her not-identical twin, Willow. Both relish the fact that they have a lovely home and two affectionate parents, and they tolerate their older brother and sister much better these days, since both are wed, and out of their hair.

A voracious reader, Holly devours anything and everything on her father’s shelves, and has recently obtained a much-desired treasure—her own telescope—which she has installed in a remote wing of Forest Grange, the farthest away from the rest of the family.

Loving her observations, not only of the moon but also the star-filled skies, she is surprised and shocked one night to catch a glimpse of something happening much closer than the nearest planet.

It looked as if a man was being set upon, most violently, by two other men. Holly is hard pressed to believe what she’s seeing, so clearly silhouetted against the fading light. Not being a young woman who would let an event such as that pass without investigation, she makes plans to find out what happened as soon as dawn arrives.

And that’s when our story begins…