Coil of serpents

the long version

The sheer cliff face was topped by a stern ancient fortress which clung to the massive stones. With its crowning parapet, the rocky Northern face had withstood conquering armies for a millennium. Within the castle, nameless fears and horrible secrets had found a dwelling through the ages. Emma was a sensible young woman, scholarly and practical. Unwillingly, she had flown from London to Italy in search of her wandering stepfather. When the sombre young Count Santore-Cansini led her to his family's medieval home, she thought that her mission was accomplished - she could not have been more wrong. Mysteries deepened long before her arrival at the castle. A charming older woman, Anna, whom she had befriended on the plane, disappeared, without a trace, upon their arrival in Rome.