Augusta Ryan, the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner, has always lived by the rules, but when she stumbles upon the discovery that she is not who she thinks she is, her entire world turns upside down. She's no longer sure about anything. What is her place in society? What is the difference between black skin and white? And what if she's been wrong about everything all along? When her longtime flame, the eligible bachelor Lionel Hart, finally sits up and takes notice of her, she wants to believe that he's sincere, but suddenly she's even doubting him. And on top of that, she's started to develop mysterious and unwelcome feelings for her childhood nemesis, the incorrigible Raleigh Sawyer. Raleigh Sawyer has always been fond of picking on Augusta, but when he realizes that his feelings go deeper, he is completely at a loss for what to do about it. To top it all off, someone may have discovered the fact that he has been harboring fugitive slaves in his home as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. As he watches his house go up in flames, he wonders if his heart is about to follow suit. How will Augusta come to terms with her new identity and figure out what her heart wants before it's too late? Which man will prove himself to be the scoundrel? And how long will it take before the time runs out, and all secrets are discovered?