Publisher's Synopsis
In the heart of the English countryside stands the abandoned Whittaker Manor, its grandeur eroded by time, its halls thick with whispers of the past. When aspiring pianist Marcus Harrow arrives to settle his late grandmother's affairs, he is drawn to the estate's decayed elegance-and to the grand piano that sits untouched in its parlor. A single note, pressed in curiosity, echoes with an eerie resonance, awakening a presence long forgotten.
That presence is Evelyn Whittaker, the manor's long-dead heiress and a gifted composer whose music was silenced by forces beyond her control. As Marcus delves deeper into the house's secrets, he uncovers Evelyn's compositions, hidden away in a locked compartment within the piano bench. Each page is a fragment of her lost voice, a story woven in melody. But the more he plays, the more the house begins to respond. Shadows shift, the scent of lavender lingers in the air, and Evelyn herself appears-her translucent form flickering between past and present.
Through spectral visions and cryptic whispers, Marcus pieces together the tragic tale of Evelyn and her forbidden love, James. Their dreams of escape were crushed by Victoria, Evelyn's controlling sister, whose desperate grasp on the family's legacy led to unspeakable betrayal. Letters were intercepted, lies were spun, and one stormy night, Evelyn's fate was sealed within the walls of the manor. But what truly happened remains obscured, lost in time-until now.
Guided by Evelyn's fragmented memories, Marcus and his friend Hannah embark on a search for the truth. They follow the echoes of Evelyn's unfinished composition, believing that if it is played in its entirety, her soul might finally be freed. As Marcus nears the final notes, the manor reveals its darkest secret-a hidden room, a sealed passage, and the key to Evelyn's silence. But some truths do not wish to be uncovered, and the house itself resists, its very foundations trembling as past and present collide.
In a climactic performance beneath a storm-laden sky, Marcus plays the final measure of Evelyn's song. The melody, raw with longing and defiance, reverberates through the manor, unraveling the final veil between life and death. As the last note fades, Evelyn steps into the light, her story no longer buried beneath the weight of silence.
Yet, as Marcus watches her vanish, he is left with one lingering question: Did he free her, or did the house merely claim another keeper of its secrets?
