At the start of the narrative, we are introduced to Brackley Hall and the Etheridge family, including Mr. and Mrs. Etheridge and their two children, Frank and Ethel. As they eagerly await Frank's return from Germany, a charged atmosphere of sexual tension develops, particularly between Frank and Ethel, who exhibit a burgeoning interest in each other. The opening portion highlights their growing desires through dream-like states influenced by mesmerism, leading to increasingly explicit encounters. The hypnotic undertones set a surreal mood as boundaries between familial affection and erotic desire blur, foreshadowing the intense and controversial interactions that follow. (This is an automatically generated summary.)