In this darker (and more adult) installment of the Flambards series, Christina finds truth in her Aunt's warning about marrying outside of her class. Neither Dick nor the wealthy neighbors desire to associate with one another, putting a strain on Christina's marriage, and leaving the two without any mutual friends. Tensions intensify when Mark returns to live at Flambards, while Dorothy remains in France. Both marriages are pushed to their limits, and tragedy and heartaches ensue as the four try to manage their tangled lives. In this final installment the author takes the characters in directions readers are unlikely to have anticipated. 4th book in the Flambards series. (Some readers prefer to consider the series a trilogy, and to skip this book which was added some years later, and after the television series was made.) Note: This volume covers themes that keep it from fitting into the children's or young adult genre, in which the earlier books are often viewed.