Publisher's Synopsis
A fictional young English Duke from the 1950's, John Browning III tells of his life starting when he was very young. It was a time when England (and the entire world) was still recovering from World War II. He wants readers to know of his life - how he got to be the Duke, how he wasn't particularly happy about being forced into that position, and about his romantic journey with Lydia, the love of his life. Besides struggling with just being the son of a Duke, John explains how he was striving to find his place in the world by becoming very well-educated - he was determined to make a name and reputation for himself that was not based upon his heritage alone. He was only twenty-five when he returned home from University, and he found himself about to assume mammoth responsibilities that would certainly change his life forever. He would reluctantly succeed his recently deceased father as the new Duke and would care for the estate and all of Kingsford. The changes coming his way would turn his world upside down, and he believed himself to be ill-prepared for such changes.
He grew up with Lydia, a playmate and the daughter of their gardener who resided near the rear of the Manor. Having returned after three years of seriously troubling times, Lydia was definitely excited to have him home again. He had been away for so long, and having him near caused her heart to be full of joy and warm feelings for him - not surprisingly, their love bloomed and flourished. Lydia (who was always treated more like family by John, his family, and all the household staff) was quickly to become a permanent presence in the Manor household.
Included in John's story are two elderly ghosts who have "lived" in the Manor for several generations. He found their antics, how they affected life in the Manor and how their behavior affected the Manor's inhabitants, were constantly something he was forced to deal with. Additionally, in order to keep everyday activities in the normal realm (and not of any interest to paranormal investigators or the media), he had to constantly and carefully keep their presence a secret from the public. Although he grew up in a household with these somewhat mischievous and spontaneous ghosts, he tried to go about his daily business even when they were acting up. It remained to be seen whether they would affect the outcome of the lives of the Manor's occupants.
