On the Scottish Borders, the old house of Norlaw stands as a faded monument to the Livingstones' once-noble name, while the present farmstead bears the weight of debt, memory, and stubborn pride. As a father dies and the household gathers in grief, the novel opens into a family drama of inheritance, loss, and the fragile dignity of those left behind. In Kirkbride, villagers gossip over the tragedy, sensing old heartbreaks and hidden histories beneath the family's troubles. From this sorrowful beginning, the story follows the Livingstone children into a world of uneasy adjustment and buried feeling. Cosmo sets out on a secret search for the elusive Mary of Melmar, while Joanna's fierce loyalty brings the spirited French girl Desirée into the house as her governess. Desirée's warmth, intelligence, and lively imagination brighten the bleak, shabby life at Melmar, even as she stirs jealousy, suspicion, and prejudice. Her bond with Joanna deepens, her fascination with a white house on the hill hints at mysterious ties to the past, and Melmar's controlling, mistrustful nature turns the domestic sphere into a place of tension, secrecy, and emotional danger. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.