When the pressure of her forthcoming marriage becomes too much, Jude bolts from the church, leaving a good man at the altar and her mother in a fury. Ashamed, Jude flees to Pengarrock, a crumbling cliff-top mansion in Cornwall, where she takes a job cataloguing the Trevillion family's extensive library. The house is a welcome escape for Jude, but when its new owner arrives, it's clear that Pengarrock is not beloved by everyone. As Jude falls under the spell of the house, she learns of a family riddle stemming from a terrible tragedy centuries before, hinting at a lost treasure. And when Pengarrock is put up for sale, it seems that time is running out for the house and for Jude.