Elizabeth had never met the Rainwood family to whom her uncle Derek was related by marriage. But her Aunt Pamela lost no time in rectifying the omission when they came up to Northumberland for the funeral of Elizabeth's father. With his death a busy, useful but protected life ended for Elizabeth, leaving her to find a new home and a new career. But happily two of Aunt Pamela's Rainwood nieces had both married in the north and, what was more, Christine and Giles Coalville over at Castleton needed to take on an assistant in the office of their Cheviot tree nursery. It seemed a perfect opportunity for Elizabeth who took to her new-found Rainwood relations with gratitude and real pleasure.

The problem of her younger sister, Carol, was not to be solved so smoothly, however. For Carol had taken up it appeared with a highly unsuitable older man - a rake, Elizabeth thought him, despite Carol's mockery at the old-fashioned label. But Richard Menteith was a rake, Elizabeth was certain, and when he appeared at Castleton the surface composure of her new life was to be more than ruffled.