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 womanand 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 sacrificeeven if it costs her the man she loveswhich will shape not only Carlotta's future, but also the lives of the generations of Eversleigh women to come.