Mary Stewart admitted that the vicar in the novel, Mr Bryanston, 'is to some extent a portrait of my own father'.

She supposes that he is a blood relative because the gift of telepathy runs in the family, and assumes him to be one of her three male second cousins, twins Emory and James, and the younger Francis.

Bryony returns to Bavaria having received a telepathic message and discovers that her father has been hit by a car, and has died after speaking some mysterious phrases, which seem to have some connection with a book in the house's library.

She learns also that her secret lover is a long-standing friend to whom she had not known she was related, the man-of-all-work around Ashley Court, Rob Granger, whom Bryony grew up with.

Bryony gradually solves her father's puzzles, some of which involve a maze depicted on the family's arms, the motto being "Touch not the cat".

In the book's climax, when they learn that she has married Rob, the twins try to murder Bryony and flood the property so they can sell it for redevelopment.

She is saved by Rob, with whom she plans to emigrate, and Francis belatedly shows up, the implication being that he will take over the care of Ashley Court.