Ushered into an entirely male domain by the compassionate relative, Cousin Ambrose, the orphaned Philip Ashley is taken in and brought up as a true son on his guardian’s estate in the rugged and wind-swept Cornwall. However, the father and son bond will shatter when the adoptive cousin who has found love and the woman of his dreams in sun-drenched Florence, dies unexpectedly, leaving Philip, who is now nearing 25, devoured by grief and a sickening suspicion of foul play.

As a result, the young heir prepares to confront his protector’s widow, nevertheless, utterly unprepared for the sophisticated and elegantly enigmatic woman who sweeps into his life and the family’s manor. Now powerless, much to his surprise, Philip is entranced by her beguiling charm, ready to offer her the world, but is it love, wealth or freedom the beauteous Cousin Rachel yearns for?