Waiting Sands

“Dearest Raye… I’ m writing to ask if you can possibly come to Ruthven for a few days. My twenty–first birthday falls next Sunday… I would feel much less frightened if you were beside me until after midnight on Saturday.” Dependable Rachel Lord hasn’t heard from her school friend Decima Mannering for over two years when, out of the blue, she is invited to Ruthven, the fairytale Scottish castle her friend will inherit on her coming of age. Her arrival is met with relief by Decima, who is convinced her husband Charles means her harm. Is Decima in her right mind? Or is Rachel being duped by her worldlier friend? As the eve of Decima’s twenty–first birthday approaches, a shocking event leaves Rachel with no doubt.