AustLit

The tale opens in Yorkshire, on the estate of Sir Marmaduke Balbrooke who is about to embark on marriage. After twenty years expectation his heir, a cousin, is enraged at the prospect of being supplanted. He is toying with the young housekeeper's niece who loves him, as she is in turn beloved by Henry, the sailor son of the local doctor. The tale of the new mistress of the estate unfolds against the mystery and tragedy of the Balbrooke's - a curse, and a secret about her predecessor. The story of Henry continues in Naples as he gets to know the family of the new Lady Balbrooke, and of his friend Arthur Chessington. Romances between the various characters unfold as the intricate proceeds through wars, secrets passages, seductions and misunderstanding, jealousy, revenge and murder to its final resolutions. (PB)