Prudence Be Damned

A Dead Heirloom’s Price

When Prudence Clarke inherits her late aunt’s stately country manor, she expects dusty heirlooms and faded portraits—not a bloodstained letter tucked into an antique writing desk. The missive warns of a family secret powerful enough to destroy reputations and incite murder. Determined to honor her aunt’s final request—to uncover the truth—Prudence enlists the help of determined archivist David Winters. Together they sift through locked trunks, decipher cryptic diary entries, and follow a trail of hidden correspondences that lead from candlelit hallways to the moss-clad ruins in the estate’s overgrown gardens.

Shadows of Betrayal

As Prudence delves deeper, she discovers a web of lies woven through generations: clandestine affairs, forged wills, and a vanished niece whose disappearance was quietly hushed up by the family’s powerful patriarch. Each new revelation escalates the danger, drawing the attention of a ruthless stranger determined to bury the past at any cost. Late-night phone calls, furtive footsteps on the gravel drive, and a broken locket found by the marble fountain convince Prudence that someone close to her is willing to kill to keep buried secrets from surfacing.

The Final Verdict of the Heart

On a storm-lashed evening, Prudence and David uncover the identity of the true heir—and the motive for a decades-old crime—beneath the shadowed arches of the manor’s private chapel. As lightning splits the sky, they must confront both a betrayed family legacy and the startling realization that love can be as perilous as deception. When the final confession echoes through the candlelit nave, Prudence faces a choice between safeguarding her newfound inheritance and following her heart toward an uncertain future.

. Mary McMullen, acclaimed author of suspenseful psychological mysteries, weaves tales of hidden truths and unforgettable heroines whose courage illuminates even the darkest of family shadows.