In 1953, Dee Danes, an orphan raised by her spiteful cousin, is inexperienced in love and desperately wants to fit in. She takes a job tutoring a little girl at a mansion, secretly fantasizing about romance with the owner, just like her beloved heroine Jane Eyre.

The strikingly handsome and wealthy owner of Rothmorton Hall, Hugh Roth, appears to enjoy embarrassing her and Dee worries she's made a terrible mistake. Mystery surrounds the other staff and Hugh, particularly the ex-wife everyone is forbidden to discuss.

Shocking truths about Hugh are exposed and Dee struggles to accept the lies and deceptions questioning the man he truly is. When frightening attempts on Hugh's life and other strange incidents occur, Dee fears for the lives of those she's come to care for—and perhaps even her own.