The Silver Cord — Rona Randall Shambrook

Vanessa's love for Gareth had come swiftly and effortlessly, and now she was afraid it would dies with the same ease. Already she could feel Hester's delicate hands strangling their marriage.

Gareth was drifting away from her and she knew why: Hester had insinuated that men -- especially Gareth's business partner -- found Vanessa “too attractive.”

Vanessa knew if she lost Gareth she would lose her reason for living. Yet she was ready to risk everything to make him see that the cause of the smoldering malice and hate at Monks Wood was Hester -- his mother…