Despite her impeccable lineage and delicate beauty, Amelia Hadwell has no interest in social demands - not when she must care for her brother William, whose otherworldly manner has convinced their family he is mad. Determined to care for him, Amelia is horrified to learn that he has been escaping to the East End, where a shocking series of murders has terrorised the neighbourhood - and that her neighbour, Drake Ramone, is convinced William is the culprit! Desperate to safeguard her brother, Amelia accepts the offer of a hiding place from Sebastian St. Ives, a reclusive scholar to whom William has taken a liking. Drawn to the reserved, silver eyed stranger, she is amazed when he reveals the unsettling reason for Drake's interest in William - and the danger an amulet in Amelia's possession represents. Yet nothing is as shattering as the realisation that although Sebastian belongs to a world she cannot imagine, she has surrendered her heart to him with just one kiss...