When one of Wellington's best sharpshooters is threatened with dire consequences if he returns to his family seat, Lord Julian Caldicott is called in to unmask the blackmailer. Julian is willing to take on the investigation for the sake of a former soldier's wellbeing, and also to relieve the grinding monotony of deepest mid-winter endured alone in rural Surrey.

Amid the sprawling elegance of Dunsford Keep, Julian finds a family on the outs with each other, their neighbors, and their own past. Lies and suspicions fly in all directions as accusations mount and Julian's loved ones are pulled into the affray. If Julian cannot target the guilty party, an innocent man will be exiled from his home forever, and Julian might well be banished from Caldicott Hall too!