Then there is Simonโs father, who, for reasons Simon has never understood, clearly hates his son. Then there is the mystery of Simonโs motherโs death, and the fact that he has never met a single member of her family. Then a miracle happensโSimon learns about a trust fund left to him in his motherโs marriage settlement.
Once the money is in his pocket, Simon and Claire decide to elopeโฆand the simmering pot that is Welbourne Abbey and its inhabitants explodes.