Helen simply couldn't believe her eyes when, stranded in the snow in the wilds of Cumberland, she found herself confronted by a leopard. But luckily it was a tame one, and its owner, the mysterious Dominic Lyall, was able to offer Helen shelter in his house.

Soon, however, the situation turned into a nightmare as she realised that he intended to keep her there, virtually a prisoner - and no one had any idea where to start searching for her! How could she get away? And, as time went by, did she want to get away?

Yet she was only too well aware that if Dominic did decide to let her go, it would only be because he wanted to get rid of her for good…