The Mystery of Miss Burke

It has been twelve years since Elinor Burke has seen her stepmother. The eighteen-year-old girl has accustomed herself to the company of her neighbors and the dwindling staff of Meadowbrooke Cottage. But with the arrival of the Earl of Berdwell at the neighboring estate, Mrs. Burke upends Ellie's life with a selfish plot. Alexander Turner has taken up the role of being steward to his cousin, the earl. He's come to the country to play his part and earn his keep. Meeting the cheerful and beautiful Miss Ellie is an unexpected bonus, but he has been charged with a serious responsibility. The Earl of Berdwell is guardian to a Miss Burke he has never met, and the girl's stepmother is making things difficult. In the countryside, anything can happen. Especially when a masquerade ball is on the horizon.