It is the summer of 1961, and Jim Sandy is the new guide at Rhodes Castle, the great ancestral home and seat of the noble Dalmane family, hereditary of St. Helens. Jim, who came down to Dorset from the town of Cockermouth in the English Lake District, loves Rhodes Castle and the countryside of Dorset, and also loves his work as a guide to the visitors of the castle. But he has one problem. His friendship with Lady Susan Dalmane has become very intimate. In the end, their love for each other leads them into an unwise situation, which spells disaster for Jim.
