Hester Frobisher arrives at Neddingfield Hall to find the gates locked. Why would Aunt Agatha invite her to stay and then bar her way? She is determined to solve this mystery on her own but her cousin, the Duke of Waverley, Ralph Sinclair, has other ideas and she is obliged to accept his help. Hester is drawn to this attractive veteran of the Peninsular Wars and Ralph finds it increasingly difficult to behave like a gentleman when she's within arms' reach. However, sinister forces are working to lure the two, and those who work for them, to their deaths. No one at Neddingfield is safe. Is it ghosts, or something far more dangerous that seeks to destroy them?Will Hester's quick wits and Ralph's courage be enough to save them all?