When Thomas Grant - one of the most eligible young men in London - proposes to Annabel Seaton she can't say she's surprised but she is delighted. He's been her best friend since she was a child and she can't imagine life without him. What shocks her however is the reaction of her mother and father. Annabel knows that her parents disapprove of her forthright opinions but their displeasure is both unexpected and unaccountable. As they permit the engagement however she decides to put it out of her mind. But before she can be married tragedy strikes and only then does Annabel learn of the shocking secret that her parents have kept from her. Determined to learn more she travels to Durham on a personal search that will change everything.