Elizabeth Nightingale, mistress of the estate, rich, beautiful and respected in society, is found murdered. Who could raise a hand against a woman who seemed to have no enemies? This was the question Inspector Wexford asked when starting his investigation. However, he quickly became convinced that the matter was much more complicated than he had initially thought. Elizabeth's husband could well be jealous of his wife's potential lover; her brother constantly showed hatred towards his sister, and his wife even had an interest in Elizabeth’s death - after all, she bequeathed all her jewelry to her. And the neighbors, it turns out, had different attitudes towards the deceased. Complete mysteries! But least of all, the inspector could have imagined that only someone familiar with the life and work of the romantic poet William Wordsworth could reveal the secret of Elizabeth’s death...