To the neighbours who helped raise her

Madeline was a handful: opinionated, disruptive, verbose. They blamed it all on her lack of a mother. But Madeline was happy: her father was parent enough. Till he wasn't there for her any more, and Madeline had to grow up fast.

Befriended by Annie, she catches a glimpse of normal family life, and sees Annie glow as she marries her adoring Willie. Madeline has never wanted a regular man in her own life, yet somehow she finds herself living in a rambling Highland mansion with Stuart, loving to the point of exhaustion, and painting her heart out. Until life creeps into the idyll with a vengeance...