On his retirement, George Ainstey had moved to Ellstream, hoping to escape from the tensions of London life. His only neighbors were Lady Charlotte Merrion, who lived in the mansion on the site of an eighteenth-century ruin, and her daughter-in-law, Antonia Merrion, whose land adjoined Mr. Ainstey’s.
But even in backwaters there is occasional turbulence. With the arrival of Lady Charlotte’s guests and Mrs. Merrion’s son and brother-in-law, undercurrents long dormant were brought to the surface, and the quiet hillside overlooking the country town was to become the focus for mystery, family rivalry and romance.