When Marda undertakes to look after the recently orphaned 17-year-old ward of blind ex-racing driver James Longford, she expects to find a sad and subdued schoolgirl. But young American Shirley Kay is self-assured, chic and charming - and a minx. Then there is James himself. After the accident that left him blind, he has shut himself away from the world with only a repressed butler and a formidable cook to look after him. How can Marda help a man who refuses to listen to music, hates the smell of flowers and never leaves the house, to find pleasure in life again? And is Shirley going to be a help or a hindrance? Originally published in 1940.