In the sleepy village of Downpass, 23 year old Gianna decides to throw a Christmas party. Beatrice Risdon, James's forceful sister and steely doyenne of Downpass life, stands aghast as friends from London and Paris descend en masse for the occasion. Among them are: Pierre, a sensitive virtuoso violinist much given to practicing through the small hours at Hargreaves House; Daphne Maxwellton, a dazzling socialite who can always be relied upon to interfere in the affairs of others; and the journalist Alexander Ranch, Gianna's fiancé and a man who combines his investigative researches with a passion for Rugby - demands which sometimes lead him to forget his romantic responsibilities.