Sydney Otterton is penniless, his wicked mother having appropriated all of the family funds with the exception of the house which was entailed. He has just returned from the war where he fought bravely and was taken prisoner at the Normandy landings. He manages to persuade his wife, Priscilla, to move into the crumbling house with their young children and faithful servant, Annie. The novel evolves through the eyes of four characters who narrate the events of what turns out to be a murder mystery, in a variety of formats (journal, letters, research). The first is the sympathetic Syndey, beset with financial worries. The sharply observant and pragmatic Annie was born and brought up on the estate and runs the house. Mr Rakowski is a frequent visitor to the house, a comic character, researching a history of the family who has developed a passion for Priscilla. The final narrator is the appealing young daughter of the house, Georgina.