Marie-Ange Hawkins has the kind of childhood that most people dream of - freedom, love and security in a beautiful old French chateau. But when she is just eleven, a tragic accident marks the end of her idyllic life. Orphaned and alone, she is sent to America to live with her great-aunt on a farm in Iowa, where she is forced to work while dreaming of returning to her beloved chateau. Only the friendship of a local boy, Billy Parker, offers comfort and hope. When an unexpected visitor brings some startling news, she returns to France and meets the Chateau's new owner, the Comte Bernard de Beauchamp - a dashing widower who invites her into his home, and his heart. For a time they enjoy a magical life together, until Marie-Ange hears a shocking story, so chilling that she can scarcely believe it.