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