The wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken

Bonnie and her cousin, Sylvia, try to outwit their evil governess, who has stolen Bonnie's estate.

This is a fun children's story, but it probably would have been to scary for me until 10 or 11 years old.

A delight. Wayward kids in gothic England. Vile villains, secret passages, and shipwrecks. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.

Whew. Wolves attacking railway cars. Wolves attacking people. Wolves everywhere.

But that's just one plot point and it's not the main one. The main story concerns a rich girl and her poor cousin. The parents of the rich girl head off on a voyage, determined to help the mother heal from her illness. The girls are left in the hands of their governess. But, oh, what a wicked governess she is! The governess fires all the servants, sells off the girls' beautiful toys and clothes, and proceeds to take over the home, sending the girls into a school for the destitute.

And then there are those wolves....