Over two years ago, Miss Rani Pemberton, an Anglo-Indian heiress, confessed her love to the handsome and illustrious Mr. Frederick Barrington. In response, he left England, and now she's destined to marry the man her father has chosen for her. Yet, what does that matter? Love in marriage is not always possible. She must accept. Or must she? Avoiding her fate, Rani, along with her family, attends a hot air balloon ascension in London's Hyde Park. The balloon crashes, and amid the frenzy, Rani's eight-year-old nephew disappears. Mr. Barrington, newly returned, volunteers to help her look for her nephew, but how can she fully trust him when he so readily walked away from her love? She can't. Not until after they search through London's underworld, battle murderers, and learn it doesn't matter where they find her nephew, but with whom. And whether or not they will survive.