ISBN: 0-316-73074-2
Okay, I was right to not let my preconceptions dictate whether I read, and fully embraced this book ... I'm a big girl, I am not afraid to admit that I should endeavour to widen my horizons, in this case anyway.
It was not wildly exciting, romantic or packed to the rafters with excitement, but it was definitely a really nicely crafting story ... and I will definitely read more of her work now.
Eppie Watt is left a widow after the North Sea takes her husband (and true love). With a young child to bring up. She has not choice but to send her beloved Daughter to live with her parents and earn a living as a lowly fish packer and seller to make ends meet, despite the fact that she came from a better class of family before she married her Murdo.
She is offered a chance for a better life when the housekeeper to a local wealthy widower decides to retire, and she recommends Eppie for the job.
Whilst Alexander Geddes is good to work for, his mother is a different story altogether. She entered the house when his second wife died in childbirth and liked to think she ruled the house with a rod of iron. However, she was doing more harm than good in the upbringing of Alexander's Daughter, and was eventually given her marching orders - leaving Eppie and Alexander in the house alone together, causing no end of gossip.
To stop the rumours getting out of hand Alexander ask him to marry here. When she refuses, he decides on a compromise and brings Eppie's own Daughter to live with them. He also employs here Sister, Marion as the girls' governess, thus taking out any suggestion of of dis-honourable intentions.
Alexander's estranged son returns to Portsoy, bringing with him an old adversary of Alexander's who has a very mysterious past for a short time.
An relationship slowly builds between Alexander and Marion, and they eventually wed. with Eppie leaving to look after her friends children when see kills herself.
So all ends well .... except that Eppie only at the very end realises that there was just one thing missing .... oh yeah, that mysterious stranger!
A 4.5 ***** Star read in the end.
