Robert Markham and his wife Grace have been looking for a new business venture for a while when he sees the advertisement for The Old Manor House in the paper. Set in the small idyllic village of Cypress Grove, buying the hotel seems a perfect way for the Markhams to achieve their dream of living in the Cotswolds.However, their first year as the new proprietors is shaping up to be as interesting as their guests. There's the wealthy American widow Mrs Macready and her daughter Ellis, who are staying at the hotel while their nearby house is renovated. By comparison, newly retired Constance Boswell is treating herself to a little luxury before facing up to an uncertain future... And then there's the mysterious Anthony Sheridan who claims to be using the hotel as a base for his house-hunting but is not entirely what he seems.