Charlotte Seton is the eldest daughter of renowned Edinburgh surgeon Francis Seton and Dana Cullen, daughter of a Presbyterian minister. The couple’s marriage is being tested and in danger of dissolving as Charlotte enters adulthood. Stubborn and curious, Charlotte will defy the conventions of early 19th-century British society. A series of misfortunate events will follow, leaving her disappointed by what life has to offer her and questioning her place in a world where she sees room only for men. A stay at the Elliots’ sugar plantation in Jamaica will open new horizons. In this exotic setting, Charlotte will experience the dizzying joy of love. But a secret casts a shadow over Montpelier and she will discover with horror that the Elliots are ready to do anything to protect that secret. . .