Gertrude had come to Providence as a young bride and had fused an ill-knit family together and made the beautiful old house a place of refuge. Then it seemed that Providence must be sold, for the war had devastated the fortunes of the Wyndhams. It was the third child, Lucy, who was to save their home; although she did not love Frank Thornley, she married him and hoped that, in time, Providence would make everything come right for all of them