It is a bleak winter in 1947. Snow covers the grounds of the decaying Cornwall estate, Nancherrow. Food is scarce, the servants are gone and Diana Carey-Lewis is mourning the loss of her husband, the long-time master of the house. The massive family home now passes to their rebellious daughter, Loveday. Yet the cold, damp walls of Nancherrow hold many secrets and demand a high price for all who live in its foreboding shadow.