It's autumn 1887. Mary Trentwood, a grieving young woman, has a problem. Mary's father has died after years of her caring for him, and in the middle of his funeral she is horrified to watch his ghost crawl out of his grave. Mr. Trentwood isn't satisfied with simply haunting his daughter, he provides his fatherly opinions and suggestions whether solicited or not. Mary is left with the decision to pretend she can't see and hear her father, or face the consequences of probable insanity. Meanwhile, she must settle her father's estate, tend to her declining house, and handle her passive-aggressive aunt, Mrs. Durham, with care. Alexander Hartwell has a problem. His widowed sister has been receiving letters threatening blackmail and harm to her child. After months of searching, he has finally traced the source to the country manor house of grieving Mary Trentwood. Unsure who would want to hurt his sister and nephew, Hartwell allows Mary to believe he is her father's solicitor, arrived to handle the estate paperwork, to allow time for an investigation. Attraction grows between Mary and Hartwell as they reveal deceptions and uncover unexpected truths in this light-hearted gothic set in the charming countryside of Victorian England.