The Silver Swan

It is the early 18th century, and all is not well behind the gates of the magnificent Tudor mansion, Sutton Place. The house's chatelaine, Elizabeth Weston, is fleeing her home with her strong-willed young daughter Melior Mary in tow, into the arms of celebrated poet Alexander Pope. Her flight causes a scandal in society, and not least with her husband John Weston, the latest in a long line of proud Westons to live at Sutton Place. But is it merely fate which takes a hand in the twists and turns in the lives of the illustrious Weston family - or are there darker forces at work? For legend has it that Sutton Place is gripped by an evil curse from which no Weston can escape. When it comes to the turn of the beautiful, mysteriously youthful Melior Mary to inherit the house, what will fate decide? Destined to have two great loves, will the ravishing Silver Swan ever know true happiness? With its skilful weaving together of the true, great historical characters from the age - poet Alexander Pope, Jacobite spy Captain Charles Wogan, the great 18th century rake Joseph Gage, and Bonnie Prince Charlie himself - the second in Deryn Lake's Sutton Place trilogy is a sweeping, romantic, haunting, historical epic. 'Deliciously spook-ridden' DAILY TELEGRAPH 'Deryn Lake researches her books with care and weaves facts into a story that is satisfyingly romantic and impressively researched' - Publishing News Deryn Lake started to write stories at the age of five then graduated to novels but destroyed all her early work because, she says, it was hopeless. A chance meeting with one of the Getty family took her to Sutton Place and her first serious novel was born. Deryn was married to a journalist and writer, the late L. F. Lampitt, has two grown-up children and lives in Mayfield, Sussex, with two large cats. She is also the author of 'To Sleep No More', 'The King's Women' and 'Pour The Dark Wine'. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.