Following the sudden death of an heir, an old household assembles and a younger relation who has just returned from abroad finds himself thrust into unexpected responsibility. Quiet domestic scenes and terse exchanges reveal concealed loyalties, rivalries, and legal complications as servants, family members, a doctor, and a lawyer attend to mourning and inheritance. The narrative dwells on the atmosphere of a decaying estate, the rigid social masks its inhabitants wear, and the slow unravelling of private griefs and obligations beneath outward composure.