Miranda's mother Tessa Summer, a famous author, died when Miranda was a child. The young woman's only connection to the Summer family is through Tessa's famous book The House of Brides - a chronicle of the generations of women who married into the infamous Summer family and made their home in the rambling Barnsley House, the family's estate. Curious about this legendary family she has never met, Miranda arrives at Barnsley. But Barnsley is not what Miranda expected.