A heroine is supposed to live happily ever after her marriage. But Lady Raven- the young, courageous, and independent Nora Woburn of Leslie O'Grady's first novel, The Artist's Daughter- has suddenly been left alone by her beloved husband Mark and their son Gabriel in a mysterious fire.
Surrounded by well-meaning advisors, Nora is determined to make her own decisions and soon finds herself confronted by Drake Turner, a forceful intriguing man who will apparently do anything to buy her share of the Raven shipping interests. Nora is initially outraged by Drake's underhanded and ungentlemanly business tactics, but as they spend time together discussing their new partnership Nora begins to wonder if she has misjudged him. When, to Nora's shock, an American woman named Ella Mason arrives in London, claiming to be the real Lady Raven, Nora finds comfort in Drake's attentions as she is tormented by painful new doubts about Mark. But still in mourning and haunted by the now somewhat ambiguous memory of Mark, Nora hesitates to accept Drake's advances. And when she sees the horrifying words, "Nora will die," written in the dust of Mark's desk, she does not know whether to run to Drake for comfort or flee from him in terror.