Dr. Wilfred Mercer is surprised, when called to Maldon Grange, to encounter Beatrice Galloway, whom he had previous met in society and developed feelings for, and nonplussed to discover that his patient is her uncle, Samuel Flower, a scoundrel who has reason to fear Wilfred's knowledge of his past. The mysterious threats that descend on Maldon Grange lead Wilfred into a tangled trail of magic, treachery, and treasure.