The moors and the fens, volume 1 (of 3)

A bleak stretch of Lincolnshire fens frames an ancient, moss‑clad mansion that has watched generations of the Ivraine family sink deeper into poverty and indifference. The damp, sluggish river and the skeletal poplars that line its banks lend the estate a mournful, almost theatrical backdrop, where even the occasional burst of summer colour feels fragile against the ever‑present mire. In this desolate setting, the house—once dubbed “Paradise” by a hopeful bride—now stands as a stark reminder of squandered ambition and lingering melancholy.

Into this gloom arrives Sir Ernest, the latest heir of a line notorious more for its stinginess than its generosity. He inherits not just the crumbling property but the weight of his ancestors’ reputation, and faces a choice: cling to the comfort of familiar decay or attempt a costly transformation that could redeem his family’s name. As the first season unfolds, his restless mind begins to test the limits of both his resources and his desire for a brighter, more livable home.