Jill Fontaine is just coming out of a life that had frozen her in time. Three years ago, she'd quit her university course in Journalism to look after her dying mother. Now, isolated and alone after her mother's death, Jill's only joy is writing. When a strange and unexpected letter arrives, Jill's world starts to get a little more interesting. Her aunt has been murdered and all of her assets have disappeared. Jill meets a pleasant and an enthusiastic young architect, David, doing plans of Victorian homes---including that of her aunt---as a project for the Smithsonian Institute. But dealing with this architect and her boyfriend, Sam, adds further confusion to her life. While Jill struggles with what she wants and with whom she wants to spend her time with, her aunt's murderer returns to haunt the old Victorian mansion.