Chantal was brought up lovingly by her stepmother, Lady Waite. Stubborn in her loyalties and passionate in her affections, Chantal is exquisite, beguiling, and volatile. It is her spirited nature that could all too easily lead the young girl astray. Torn from the dazzling salons and glittering balls of aristocratic Victorian London, the beautiful, beguiling Chantal is cast adrift on the stormy sea of destiny. Chantal finds herself caught in a gathering maelstrom of wild and dangerous adventure. From a mysterious chateau, to a deserted tropical island in the Seychelles, she is swept into a whirlwind of scandal, anguish, and ecstasy. Chantal is adored by three men who will all risk anything to win her love: a debauched French nobleman; a bold, hot-blooded Portuguese pirate; and John de Valle, her stepmother's son. Chantal knows him only as a brother - but he is aware of the truth of their kinship and will risk anything to win her love. This unforgettable saga of triumphant love and soaring dreams pulses with the vivid legacy Chantal's stepmother and her daughter.