Far away from home in New York City, Catherine Urwin lives a life of servants, idle chatter, and submissiveness to her wicked guardian Francis Hortbury. When her painting class is interrupted by local gangsters, she becomes drawn into a series of events that leads her back to England and back into the world of Theodore Norlong and his political adversary Sir John Calderdale.
Meanwhile, London is gripped by fear. A series of brutal murders have left Whitechapel in shock. Owen Norlong watches on, like everyone else, but when Sir John intervenes, he is forced into a world he never wanted to be a part of, a world he ran away from. With Sir John on the point of becoming prime minister, Catherine and Owen become embroiled in a story that could bring down both their families. But as love slowly blossoms, will Owen be able to capture Catherine’s heart?