The Rising Tide – Mabel Esther Allan
When she inherits three small islands, Fennel Chalfont, an eighteen-
year-old orphan, plans to go and live there. The main island has a
house, the ruins of an ancient Abbey, and some cottages. Only one
cottage is inhabited, by a Mr Parry-Jones and his granddaughter,
Ceiridwen.
Penny's friend Sue decides to join in the adventure, and the two
girls drive to the north-western estuary planning a winter of writing
and bird-watching. They are not deterred by the warnings of the
danger of the tides and the difficulties of living on a remote island.
Their first meeting with Ceiridwen, a schoolgirl on horseback,
strikes an uneasy note of strain and mystery, for why should the
child seem, to fear and resent strangers so much? Though she is
dismayed by their lack of welcome and the state of Great Seal House,
Fenny loves her islands and quickly feels a sense of responsibility
toward the lonely and puzzling Ceiridwen, who is so much more Welsh
than English.
The danger of the rising tide is soon apparent, but there is a rising
tide of menace, too, as various events seem to prove that their lives
may be in danger. On clear days the mountains of Wales are visible,
but it is some time before Fenny guesses that the- source of the
mystery lies in that other country.-
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