Description

Set against the windswept moors of Westmoreland, Oakby Hall stands as a modest but proud mansion, its stone façade and lone oak watching over a valley that has nurtured the Lester family for generations. The squire, Gerald Lester, balances the duties of deputy sheriff and justice of the peace while maintaining a home that feels both stately and intimately warm, especially beside its roaring hearth. As winter descends, his three children—Jack, Cheriton, and the spirited Cherry—return from school, their lively banter and skating exploits revealing a household where rivalry and affection intertwine.

Within those walls, the squire's authority is softened by the everyday dramas of a family that is “a little more than kin, and less than kind.” The lively exchanges around the fire hint at deeper personalities: Jack's boisterous confidence, Cheriton’s thoughtful demeanor, and Cherry's fierce independence. Listeners are invited to step into a world where the English countryside shapes character, and the first act sets the stage for the challenges and loyalties that will test this proud lineage.