Two families living in 1840s London must guard a secret that originated at the Duchess of Richmond's legendary ball on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo. 1815, the eve of the Battle of Waterloo. At the Duchess of Richmond's ball, one family's life will change forever; for Sophie Trenchard, this night will change everything. Twenty-five years later, as the upper echelons of society begin to rub shoulders with the emerging industrial nouveau riche, the true repercussions of that moment will be felt. And there are those who would prefer the secrets of the past to remain buried....

Follows events when the rising nouveau riche, including the Trenchard family, rub shoulders with London's well-known upper classes and when secrets from the past threaten to emerge.