Orphaned as a baby, 19-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each one more interested in her wealth and her well-being and each has met untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy. Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties while his son grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation, and his daughter suffers from a mysterious illness. But when their mothers restless spirit appears, claiming she was poisoned Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger and enlists the help of a surly stableboy.