A delightfully witty and utterly charming novel that will have resonance for anyone today who has ever had, or contemplated...Having the Builders In. Dame Constance de Clair has a remarkable talent for getting what she wants. And, at this precise moment she wants to transform her beloved yet overly square castle, Vine Regis, by adding an extension. But for once all is not going according to her plans... Quite apart from the fact that her builders seem more intent on demolishing the existing castle than they do on building the extension, her son's wife-to-be, Susanna (a flirtatious minx with a penchant for drama), has arrived at Vine Regis eager to dislodge her as Lady of the Castle; Constance's son, Gervase, appears more interested in going hunting than getting to know his intended; everyone is in a state of mild hysteria as the French threaten to invade England; and to top it all off, there appears to be thievery afoot. Something is going to have to be done about it all before the estate begins to crumble but the question is what...?