This is probably my favorite James novel. Villiers appealed to me even as a “villain”. In this work, his human foibles are revealed. His passion and tenderness for Eleanor are beautifully portrayed, and her conflicting self-doubt and inner strength set the perfect stage for his surrender and her own. He is an unlikely, unheralded hero who finds his sanctuary where he least expected it. I love to read this one over and over again – especially on rainy hibernation days.