Ashworth Chronicles

Tessa, the Nemesis from their schooldays, is back after 20 years. 'The Four', led by Ray, have matured into responsible and prominent citizens of the town of Ashworth, roles determined by family tradition. They contribute to peaceful if dull functioning of the town. When Tessa returns, they and the town undergo an unexpected upheaval. From protecting themselves from Tessa as they did in the past, they are now bound to protect her from the forces out to harm her. In her heart, Tessa had never left the land which had claimed her. When the chance came to make the woods her home, hard work and luck made the dream come true. Just when she had settled down as a keeper of the woods, adhering to a long-ago pledge made by the town's founders, she is the recipient of escalating threats. Are the forces threatening her after the land or her extinction? Despite their earlier rivalry, she and Ray enter a truce. He was Ashworth's golden boy while she was Ashworth's ugly duckling. He was the one she could not resist yet resisted. Can she trust him when her land would enrich the town's coffers? Can she go against what her heart wants? No matter the cost, Tessa is determined to protect the woods and maintain her role as a keeper of a long ago promise.

Preston Scott, resigned to life as a childless widower, is shocked when told a murdered woman could be his daughter. She left behind two daughters, naming him their legal guardian. He thinks it must be a mistake, only to find the girls bear an uncanny resemblance to him. Shaken, he leaves them in the care of their capable great-aunt while he investigates the connection. Their great-aunt, Laurel Kirby, a single high school teacher, is more than capable, having raised the girls while their mother pursued a modelling career. She welcomes his hesitancy and wants nothing to do with him, fearing he will take the girls, who are as dear as if they were her own. Her deepest desire is to give the precocious Sophie and the taciturn Robyn a normal upbringing, something she was denied by the recklessness of her family. Preston, however, cannot abandon the girls. They drift into a relationship while Laurel watches on uneasily, knowing she lacks the resources to fight him. As Preston delves into his daughter's past, wanting to know why she was murdered, he is dismayed to learn she had been embroiled with some shady characters. At the hint of danger, he whisks the girls and Laurel to Ashworth, where he plans to keep them safe. Laurel learns Preston is not a threat, but Ashworth is not the haven they hoped it would be. The shadows that followed Mandy, follow them there, and the family they are building could suddenly collapse like a house of cards. This is the second instalment in the Ashworth Chronicles.