Working for Abercrombie and Son in London, insurance adjuster Oliver Branwell, relatively new to the business, is assigned on Christmas Eve to assess a claim filed by Tracey Moreton of minor fire damage at his home, Lowis Manor, in Sussex, the damage primarily to the building and to some paintings. Beyond the investigation upon his arrival at Lowis Manor, Oliver is surprised to see that Mrs. Moreton is his old flame, Sarah, who he lost touch with five years ago out of circumstance but who he never stopped loving. As Oliver is invited by Tracey to stay for dinner partly out of courtesy seeing as to the day, the other dining companions being Tracey's cousin Clive Fisher, and Tracey's mother, Oliver and Sarah, unspoken, believe it best not to divulge to the others even that they know each other let alone of their romantic past. While Oliver eventually rules that there is nothing unforeseen with the claim, it isn't until several months later while working on a totally unrelated file that he begins to suspect not only was the fire part of a fraud, but that it is connected to an art forgery scheme. Beyond what he decides to do which factors in his love for Sarah and that she may be involved in the fraud, Oliver gets caught up in a much more complex web a result of this investigation which may threaten his livelihood.
