Don’t Take It to Heart

The Second World War bombing damages Chaunduyt Castle, triggering the release of an ancient ghost from a chest hidden in a wall. The apparition is sighted by the butler Alfred Bucket and a maid, and it quickly becomes front-page news.

Peter Hayward joins a guided tour of the decrepit castle led by the incognito Lord Chaunduyt. During the tour he notices portraits of a young woman who turns out to be Lady Mary, the present lord's daughter.

Peter reviews manuscripts uncovered by the bombing and notes that the lord has forgotten their appointment. Lady Mary has returned home and agrees to help him, showing her willingness to assist despite her social constraints.

Over the course of a week, Peter and Mary spend time together at the castle. Peter confesses his attraction, and Mary reveals she must go away the next day, admitting she realized his feelings just moments ago.

In the local pub, the ghost tries to enlist Peter in a land-rights case after Pike ploughs up a cricket pitch. The ghost laments how, over 400 years, his conscience has grown about fencing land that did not belong to him.

Mary returns to find Peter still there and learns that her fiancé is coming home from the war. Discouraged, Peter contemplates leaving, though their bond remains unresolved.

At the railway station, Peter learns Pike has confiscated the land Harry Bucket once operated a brickyard, likely out of spite for losing the cricket-ground case. Public sentiment shifts as people blame Pike for the seizure.

At a party, Mary discovers that George is engaged to someone else, which unsettles her. When Peter appears, she regains her composure and their cautious romance resumes.

Peter proposes moving sheep onto the confiscated land to assert occupancy and challenge the case in court. He hopes the demonstration will help prove the rightful ownership of the land.

The trial begins with Pike bringing the case to court presided over by Lord Chaunduyt. Peter pleads not guilty on behalf of himself and all defendants, arguing about rightful ownership and contested signatures.

Peter calls Dr. Rose of the British Museum as a witness to authenticate the manuscripts. She reads a deathbed confession that a man switched his child with the infant Lord Chaunduyt, challenging the lineage.

The ghost unexpectedly appears on the witness stand and confirms the signature as his father's. With this revelation, the case is dismissed and the rightful lineage is clarified.

Harry Bucket is proclaimed Lord Chaunduyt by act of Parliament, overturning the earlier assumption and recognizing his rightful title. The control of the estate shifts legally and publicly.

Peter confesses to Mary that his aged father is a baronet, addressing her rage and ending their separation with a kiss. The couple moves toward an accepted union despite past tensions.

With the dispute resolved, the former earl continues his illicit pastime by poaching on the castle grounds. The ghost observes, now content with the rustic peace he has finally regained.