A Victorian domestic melodrama of contested inheritance and concealed identities, in which a disputed stewardship plunges several families into intrigue. Schemes of surveillance, accusation, prosecution and flight intertwine with secret alliances, sudden awakenings and daring escapes as characters seek a missing testament and the truth behind apparent usurpation. Revelations and confrontations expose fraud and hypocrisy, bring about the downfall of corrupt figures, and ultimately resolve competing claims and loyalties around the estate.