George Allenby is still wrestling with his experiences as an officer during the First World War when he is sent by his employers to construct a lake at the Manor House, home of the newly rich Remington family. The construction process raises traumatic memories that he isn't yet prepared to face, but solace emerges in the unlikely form of Cora, a maid in the grand home.

Almost a century later, Alex and Ellie are planning their wedding in the grounds of the Manor House. But like Allenby before him, Alex is haunted by a secret that threatens to destroy the life he has built. As the day of his wedding approaches, he must decide whether to tell Ellie about the evening he will always regret.

In this masterful portrait of love and betrayal, David Park reveals the many ways the past seeps into the present: destructive, formidable, but also hopeful, in the many moments of fragile beauty that remain.