The day melissa carlile turns the key in the lock of the old manor house on the ancient de braose estate she has no idea how her life is about to change. lord edward de braose, his grandson william and the faithful mr & mrs podger all support her in coming to terms with the death of her artist great aunt, hetty, and the subsequent discoveries regarding her inheritance. when lord edward dies suddenly, his son tobias inherits both the title and the de braose estate and sells it. the purchaser is a company called kuckelimat baquecks development ltd and the plan is to turn the estate into a select golf club and spa. but is this development all what it seems? a campaign is launched to stop the development and william and melissa find they are up against anonymous very rich investors from the murky world of offshore tax havens, tax evasion and money laundering. can they beat the power of big money to save the endangered species and rare chalk grassland from the bulldozers?