The tale is set principally among the hills of the English Lakes by the fictional lake of Timemere. The imaginary village of Thatchcroft on its shore and the equally fictional market town of Constanton a few miles downriver from the Lake. A former sea farer, Will, now owns Grilsethwaite, an estate on the lakeside.
Will is summoned from the church one Sunday morning to deal with an incident of deer poaching. The first of several criminal acts to disturb to countryside they were to gradually increase through theft and violence to murder.
That first Sunday afternoon Will calls at the village shop and decides to call at Candides newly open Art Gallery opposite and wish her luck inspite of their casual acquaintanceship...
Candide was restoring a picture involving nude figures when Will arrived. Posing for her work becomes intimate and they make love... The developing of their relationship against the background of growing criminal activity along with the issue of preserving the value of the natural countryside against the profits to be made from expanding tourism, agricultural life, sailing, fishing, pony tracking and shooting flows throughout.
Culminating in the justification of the plans that Will and his friends and employees had made to deal with the criminal threat.