This book starts off in Australia with a man and his two grown children. They decide to go back to England, but before they go, an old enemy of the father's shows up. The son and daughter wonder about him. Anyway, they all move to England and buy a house that is supposed to be haunted with ghosts. All its owners have seen them and some have been killed after seeing them. Into this village they settle down. James, the son, meets a young lady he falls in love with, but her grandfather won't let them marry and, later on, even see each other.