The story unfolds in England in the beginning of the 20th century. The protagonist is a young noble called Charlie. Soon after his mother's death his father George married another woman called Nessa, and Charlie severed relations with him. Now that his father has died too, Charlie comes back to the family mansion called Barrington House as a legal heir. But there are two obstacles: terms made in the father's will, and also Nessa and her daughter Isabel trying to claim their rights to inherit.