Ursula

When elderly Dr Minoret settles in his family home town with a young female ward, Ursule, his vulture-like relatives are ever in the wings waiting to inherit (brilliant almost Dickensian descriptions bring these unsavory folk to life!) They grow to hate Ursule, convinced she is scheming to get 'their' money. Without giving too much away, a crime is committed, there's a touch of the supernatural and a pair of starcrossed lovers...
Had me enthralled from page 1; Balzac at his unputdownable best