When Dorothea falls in love with the dashing Mr Detherfield she tries desperately to hide her feelings, afraid that he will uncover the secrets of her past. Her problems multiply when the spiteful Mrs Howard threatens to reveal financial secrets about Dorothea's family that could ruin them all. But when her cousin Clio is kidnapped, Dorothea must forget her old anxieties. She needs Mr Detherfield's help if she is to find Clio before it is too late.