When governess Anna Arbuthnot arrives at Ridley Hall she finds a house in deep mourning. Lyndon Wilder oldest & most beloved son of Lord & Lady Charles has been killed in the Napoleonic Wars leaving behind him a now orphaned daughter Lottie & other undiscovered troubles. Anna finds it easy to establish a bond with her young charge but other relationships in the house begin to strain under the weight of Lyndon's absence. When Thomas Wilder the younger son & new heir returns from war he finds his family in chaos & Lyndon's legacy threatening Ridley Hall's future. As executor of his brother's will & guardian of his daughter Thomas is forced to leave the military life he loves & is confined to the faltering estate of his childhood. It is only with Anna's help that Thomas can save Ridley & most crucially protect his parents from the truth about Lyndon Wilder...