Rumors surrounding the Ravenhearst manor in Blackpool have circulated for decades. The Queen of England has enlisted the character's help to solve the mystery behind the ghostly apparitions in and around Ravenhearst manor. The player character is provided the recently acquired diary belonging to Emma Ravenhearst which holds the key to unraveling the history of this unsettling place, yet some pages are missing. The player must venture into Ravenhearst, find the missing pages, and solve the mystery.
As the player collects the pages of the diary, the story reveals itself. Emma Ravenhearst, a young girl from Iowa, arrived in Blackpool, England on August 24, 1894 after having been graduated from a teacher's college. She is hired at a local school and boards with the schoolmistress, also helping with household tasks.
At a community autumn party on September 10, 1894, Emma meets a handsome, wealthy young man named Charles Dalimar. He is smitten by Emma. Several months later, on March 16, 1895 he proposes to Emma.
After thinking about the fact that she has, as she says in her diary, just begun her life, she declines the proposal. Charles is hurt, but two weeks later on April 5, 1895 he visits Emma again, carrying roses. He tells her that he has purchased a tract of land and is building a manor.
A workman, Frank Williams, falls while working on the house in May 1895.. He leaves behind a wife and two children. At the funeral, Charles mutters to Emma something about being forever alone at his "bedevilled" manor.
On May 23, Emma gets a letter from her sister back in America telling her that their father is seriously ill. She makes plans to leave, but then falls ill. As she worsens, Charles moves her into the manor and cares for her.
He hires a woman named Rose Somerset to take care of Emma. Emma, despite her condition, continues to write in her diary and she and Rose become friends. (Note: source for edits to this point come directly from the diary in the Ravenhearst game.)
Unfortunately, Emma's health keeps on failing. She starts having nightmares where she is wearing a white bridal dress. She has not heard anything from her family. Charles behaviour has become suspicious & he has taken to reading the books of black magic & necromancy. Rose is finding the situation creepy. When Rose discovers a dress similar to the one Emma wore in her nightmare, the duo believe that Charles is trying to harm them. This also happens to be the second last entry in Emma's diary.
The last entry to the diary is dated "Today", and is written by the ghost of Emma, who haunts the manor. It urges the player to find seven skeleton keys hidden throughout the manor, and visit the cellar to open the cellar door with them. When the player accomplishes this, an upright casket is found, which, when opened, reveals the remains of Emma, dressed in the wedding gown. It is heavily implied that Charles has murdered Emma in fear of abandonment. The skeleton dissolves as Emma's spirit is freed from the manor.