Dynevor Terrace may be described as an extended family chronicle. All the main characters and many of the minor characters are either descendants of the Dynevors, an ancient Welsh family, or closely connected with them. In the second volume beautiful Isobel Conway appears, the step-daughter of Lady Conway, the elder sister of Louis's mother, and is chiefly concerned with the love entanglements of the four principal characters, Isabel herself, Mary, Louis and James. Mrs Ponsonby dies, Mr Ponsonby promptly marries a very young Peruvian girl, and summons Mary home, refusing to permit her engagement to Louis. James and Isobel marry on the strength of his headship of Northwold Grammar school, a post for which he is unsuited. Tom Madison joins the firm in Peru, and Charlotte, his betrothed, has to resist the blandishments of Lady Conway's butler. Next Oliver returns and buys back Cheveleigh for his mother, and the repercussions of this are widely felt. Catherine soon dies, and Clara takes up responsibility for her uncle. James is estranged from them. In time he and Isobel and their growing family are plunged into poverty, and have the help of Charlotte Arnold. Louis and Mary, though parted remain loyal to each other. The wheel comes full circle, the firm in Peru faces ruin, Oliver has a stroke and has to sell Cheveleigh, and he and Clara find a home in Dynevor Terrace with James and Isobel. Louis comes to Peru and helped by Tom Madison salvages a part of Oliver's wealth, and since Mr Ponsonby has died, Louis and Mary can wed. They and Tom return to England where Tom marries Charlotte in a general celebration.
