The glittering and bright regency society of Montserrat, a Caribbean Island, exists only because of the miserable toil of some. The accepted unjustness of it jars Miss Emmeline Durrant who arrives from Boston to be a companion to a Mrs. Thornton, but being alone in the world, it is an opportunity she cannot afford to pass up. Even so, her welcome proves less than earnest and secrets emerge from every shadowed corner as she takes up her new position at the Rose Hill plantation.Dark deeds and intents are suspected everywhere, especially from the neighboring landowner, a Lord Cresswell, who Emmeline’s patroness despises with vitriolic hatred— a man whose features are as dark and foreboding as Mrs. Thornton claims his heart to be. Bright sunshine over the sugarcanes masks the insidious fear of the people who forcibly work the fields, and their malcontent resentment. Unease over the dark religion and curses haunt even the lavish ballrooms where Montserrat society meet and mingle.