Cressida Felbridge is living the high life as a debutante in 1960s
London society when she is courted by a friend of her brother's and set
to marry. Her father decrees that she have her portrait painted, but as
soon as she meets the painter Ralph Few, Cressie knows her life will
never be the same again. Soon, she is deeply in love with Ralph, but
there is one problem: Ralph is still married to Catherine. As Cressie is
drawn into a strange, triangular relationship, Catherine's behavior
becomes increasingly erratic. In the present day, Emily Conway has it
all: a huge West London house, two beautiful children and a successful
husband, Will. But as Emily and Will drive to a party, Will reveals that
he has been betrayed by his business partner. Steering the car off the
road at high speed, their perfect life is abruptly ended. When she wakes
from her injuries, Emily is told of a mysterious legacy: a house in
Cumbria left to her by a woman she has never met. Could this house
provide the chance to start anew, or does it hold secrets that she must
uncover before it can be at peace?