Just outside of the city of Detroit in 1839, a young lady inherits her grand family estate. Built by her eccentric grandfather, rumor has it that the Canterbury family treasure is hidden somewhere on the estate. But that's just a rumor---isn't it? Should the lovely Miss Ruby Canterbury trust her new employee, the handsome and mysterious Scotsman, Charles Gerard, who found the first clue to the cache? After all, she did hire him straight out of the local jailhouse. Or should she put her trust in her houseguest, the banker Henri LeFevre? Since both men arrived at the Cottage, someone has been listening at doors and searching through drawers. Events soon turn dangerous as Charles and Ruby decipher clues, which lead them down hidden stairwells, escape tunnels, and ultimately, to an affection for each other that could change the course of both of their lives. Amid happy spring festivals, surprise parties, and horse races, danger presents itself at every turn as Ruby learns how to be the mistress of her lands, and attempts to uncover her family's hidden fortune.