Valley of Nightingales — Elizabeth Renier

Barbara Knight, a seventeen-year-old orphan, is sent to a small village to live with her great-uncle James. In all her years, he becomes the first person to show he love and respect, and the thrives on it. Soon Barbara finds fulfillment in assisting Martin Vaerranden, a young doctor. She is drawn to Martin's gentle and compassionate nature, yet frightened by his deadly hatred for his brother, the tyrannical Lord Humphrey.