Born of scandal into a family whose misery deepens to murder, Constance Evershaw is sent away to school as soon as the Civil War is over. She begins her years-long tour of Europe without knowing what she's giving up by leaving the States. When Auntie Vivian and "Auntie" Claire die, Constance finds happiness with Achille ... and when he dies, she faces his bitter family on her own.

Not long after she abandons Paris for London, she hears of her older half-brother's death, and returns to her hometown of Mariahville, Massachusetts, to sort his estate. Her inheritance includes surprising truths and questions as well as worldly goods. What's the story behind her brother Theo's death and his mysterious trusts?

Just as she's settling in and learning to cope with her strange but familiar circumstances, she's inducted without warning into a secret fraternity. She finds herself bound by the obligations it imposes; one of them is to help her late brother's old friend deal with his unstable and homicidal son. Will she find happiness again, or is love just a memory?