A family secret unleashes intrigue, incest, and cutthroat treachery in this stunning tale from a master storytellerWhile Restoration England continues to be torn apart by political and religious turmoil, fourteen-year-old Priscilla Eversleigh gives herself to fugitive Jocelyn Frinton in a moment of youthful passion. Desperate to conceal her shameful secret from her family, Priscilla journeys to Venice, Italy, where her illegitimate daughter, Carlotta, is passed off to another woman-and a conspiracy is born. Priscilla's past will haunt her in the decades to come. As fortune-hunters circle, Carlotta becomes a pawn in a twisted game of greed and revenge. Now Priscilla must make the ultimate sacrifice-even if it costs her the man she loves-which will shape not only Carlotta's future, but also the lives of the generations of Eversleigh women to come.