Julianna Bennington has only ever known a life of ease and luxury. When a sudden accident leaves her temporarily crippled, the unwanted attentions of the eligible Mr. Liptrot become more than she can bear and she is desperate to escape the situation. The arrival of an invitation from her fathers aunt, Lady Jane Sinclair, to visit the estate of Trilling Heights in the northwest Lake District for her recovery seems like divine intervention. She believes it is the escape she is looking for and eagerly accepts. What she could not foresee, however, was how the visit would twist and shape her world forever, especially when the intriguing John Burke, her aunts steward, comes into her life. Soon she begins to question whether the life she was born to is the life she was meant to live. As she comes to understand the mysteries surrounding the estate and finds out who its elusive heir really is, Julianna must choose between the expectations of society and those of her heart.