Charlie had spent all her life in Australia, and had only heard stories of Foxhill, her father's old family home in Sussex. Now her father was dead and Charlie was visiting England - and her relatives - for the first time. She realised that she would come as a great surprise to them - they hadn't, after all, known of her existence - but she certainly hadn't expected quite so much hostility and suspicion. Whatever the family quarrel had been about, it was still being carried on with the next generation! The only person who showed her any friendliness was Piers Chastel - and Piers' friend Merle Sheldon soon made up her mind to put a stop to that! Shouldn't Charlie have second thoughts, and go away and leave them all?