The world is a frightening place for Tamor O'Donnell. She escapes a loveless marriage of convenience, only to find that again and again she must flee new dangers. Living under a false name, she would like to accept the love and security offered by the young lawyer Gordon Rhys, but she is afraid to trust him with the secret of her identity. This time when she runs away she finds herself caught in a danger she cannot escape: the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.