The Court

How to hold on to The Court, a crumbling, treasure-filled, 400-year-old mansion, is the slippery task inherited by the Hellyns, four young, aristocratic siblings in contemporary Britain. They also face changing times, the restrictions imposed by their class and sexual compulsions that lead to scandals. Attention focuses on headstrong Mara, the eldest, who channels her grief over the death of a doting father into wild liaisons. When an affair with the married prince of a tiny principality ends in rejection, Mara returns to The Court to bear a child. In the background are Lisa, who rescues the mansion by turning it into a hotel; Angus, who becomes the next earl; and his mentally ill twin, Marcus. Walker, a bestselling British author making her American debut, competently weaves the quartet's various forays and dynastic obligations into diverting romance. (Sept.)