In 1670 a group of Barbadian Adventurers left Speightstown in Barbados and sailed to Carolina where they established Charles Town. Twenty-six years later, Richard Fairfax, son of one of the original settlers, leaves Carolina to visit his uncle's sugar plantation in Barbados, at a time when the island is at the peak of its wealth and influence and the planters live like gods, denying themselves nothing. Deborah, is a beautiful quadroon house slave, whose hunger for freedom makes her vulnerable to Richard who is captivated by her beauty and spirit. He holds the keys to her freedom, but will she be willing to pay the price? And will Richard be the one to find himself enslaved?