Ever since Sir Richard, First Baronet Harfield, took up residence in his newly built mansion at Prinsted, over three hundred years ago, the Harfield family has maintained its pre-eminent position within the parish. But status and treasure are not all that the current Harfield generation inherited from their distinguished, yet reclusive, ancestor. Sir Richard also bequeathed them two mysteries: the source of his considerable wealth; and, the true identity of his much younger wife, the enigmatic Adeline.

When the painting of a beautiful young woman, bearing the signature of Sir Godfrey Kneller, one of England's most famous seventeenth century portrait artists, is found hidden in the basement of the Harfield mansion, the Reverend Brazelle, a family friend, offers to try to identify the woman. He believes that, if successful, he might also be able to resolve those other Harfield family mysteries. It turns out that he's right, although the astonishing discovery that he makes carries such profound and far reaching implications, and not just for the Harfield family, that he struggles to see how it can ever be made public.

But that isn't the only challenge Brazelle currently faces. He has also been drawn into helping unmask a traitor and solve a present day murder. And, by the way, he still has his duties as the Prinsted parish priest to perform and a portrait of his own to get finished.