Mr Herbert Wrayson, 32 years old, a "clubable" bachelor, witnesses the murder of his detestable upstairs neighbor: Mr Morris Barnes. In the middle of the night, he surprises the lovely Louise rifling through the papers on his desk. Unbeknownst to him, she is the estranged daughter his friend, the affable Colonel Fitzmaurice, a kindly soul who lives to help others. Because Wrayson is a witness, several other members of his club become obsessed with the murder, including the lawyer Heneage.
The trail of witnesses, accomplices, and potential inheritors grows longer, and more complicated, while Wrayson falls ever more deeply in love with the mysterious, and completely unwilling, Louise. She is the companion of the Baroness de Sturm.
A trip to France, brings further mystery as Louise is living in a highly guarded Chateau with Madame de Malbain. surrounded by spies.
Who killed Barnes? What is the source of his fortune? Why is Louise unwilling to marry? In this mystery romance, Oppenheim is firmly in his element. Written in 1907, the novel conveys the life of pre-War London, the role of the famous Alhambra music hall, and the manners of the upper class.
