When Marion Garver arrives at the Thorne mansion, her presence sets into motion a downward spiral of one of the most prominent families in Virginia. While her dear father lay dying, Marion's mother informs her that their desperate situation calls for an even more desperate measure. Her mother tells her she must assume a fake last name and accept a governess position with the Thorne's, a mysterious family whose patriarch, Gabriel, is known around town for his taste in fine tobacco and his ferocious temper. Everyone suspects Gabriel may be responsible for his young wife's death years before. After delving further into the dark history of the family, Marion not only believes the suspicions but begins to unearth secrets of her own: why her mother made her assume a fake last name, what happened between her family and the Thorne's years before, and even the true identity of Thorne's eldest son, Loren. Armed with these disturbing truths, Marion must decide where to turn. Should she stay with the Thorne's and risk her own life in order to save her family? Or should she escape the twisting trap that binds her at the Thorne estate and return home, leaving behind the promise of a new love and guaranteeing her family's destruction? Her final decision is one that echoes with tragedy; a decision that will haunt them all forever.