The last time Maria Smithers saw her childhood friend was when he passed through the stone wall of his family's property. Maria vows to hate him forever for abandoning her, but an accident reunites them years later. Since he doesn't recognize her, she gives him a false name and says she is holidaying. Albert Davenport is a handsome, well-educated man and an heir to a vast property. Those credentials ought to make him the gem of every woman's eye. However, his rumored mental setbacks-supposedly due to witnessing his parents' murders-are the talk of the countryside, casting a blemish on his character. A situation of cattle theft has Maria defending herself when the heir to Evercrest Hall catches her on his land. She proves to him that she is not one of the rustlers and thinks this will put an end to their acquaintance. But against her wishes, Albert hires her to work in his household, giving her no alternative but to accept. Strong feelings constantly overwhelm Maria. She cannot endure the pain of having her heart broken again, and by the same person. The realism that men of Albert's social class rarely marry women like her should be a strong enough deterrent to keep any self-respecting female from fanciful beliefs; unfortunately, this only makes her longing for the man much more profound, until she hears of his engagement to a rich neighbor's daughter, which is just another loveless marriage of convenience. Matters come to Maria's attention regarding Albert's history-he is not as blemish-free as she had thought. When she investigates the events surrounding Evercrest Hall, she discovers the murders of her mother and Albert's parents are closely intertwined, leading her to find out the shocking truth of who her father really is.