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Synopsis
They say it´s a ghost story but it isn´t. As Hilary wrote: a story of time travel, forwards and back, which intrigues the reader with its conundrum, while avoiding its absurdities. The story moves between the 1920s (when it was written) and the 1770s. There are two heroines, 20th century Jan Challard, a London girl, and 18th century Juliana Clare, the youngest daughter of an aristocratic Berkshire family. Jan is independent and spirited, but leads a humdrum life, works in an office, and walks out with a very suitable young man. Juliana is getting the upbringing of a young lady in the enormous family mansion, Chidleigh, and her life is devoid of excitement and event, to the extent that she struggles for hours to work out what to write in her mind-improving journal. She is 17. Both girls intrigue and ultimately irritate those nearest to them by periodically being mentally absent. The two heroines can see one another from time to time, momentarily, through some rent in the fabric of time, but never manage to meet and interact. Their lives converge: Jan goes on holiday to stay with her sister close to Chidleigh; and Juliana’s life is turned upside down by the death of her father, and the return of her mysterious brother to take the title and be head of the family. Lucian Clare is 26 years old, has been away from home since he left it for the Grand Tour 11 years earlier. His notorious dissipation and wickedness caused his choleric father to bar him from the house and contact with the family, and denounce him from his deathbed. But now his father is dead, and he is back. He has been everywhere, learnt everything, tried everything. He has been a leading light in the Hell-Fire Club, tasted all that has to offer, and is jaded and so very bored. His two brothers, chips off the old block, are baffled and resentful, but in his sister he recognises another ‘old soul’, and comes to understand that she has an abundance of a supernatural power of which he has only a shred