1836 - A young woman becomes a Governess to Count Vorontsov in a palace on the Black Sea, where she falls in love with the palace gardener. Only when she is forced to flee from the brewing Crimean War does she become truly aware of the lurking malevolence that has ebbed beneath the tranquil veneer of palace life. Mary-Ann and James are forced by Mary-Ann's Governess contract to postpone their marriage, in an atmosphere tainted by jealous rivalries.