Margaret Lennox, having recently escaped an unhappy marriage through her husband's death, accepts a position as governess at Hartwood Hall. Though devoting herself to the care of the young Louis, she's unsettled by growing hints that his mother or the servants are harboring secrets. Why was a candle left burning in a seemingly empty room? Can Paul the gardener, for whom Margaret feels a growing attraction, be trusted? Why is a mysterious woman attempting to blackmail her? Steeped in the Gothic tradition but not burdened by it, this mystery is wholly satisfying. Fans of Jane Eyre and The Thirteenth Tale will rejoice. (BH)