Lillian’s twin sister’s animosity toward her stems from childhood, from their mother’s death twenty-seven years ago. But Lillian remembers nothing about that day. Why, if her mother’s death was an accident, does Lillian harbor guilt, as though she were somehow to blame?
Lillian discovers a thumb drive, marked for her eyes only, in her recently deceased father’s study. Graham’s account of his stormy relationship with her mother stirs long-suppressed memories and divulges information about Lillian’s past that sets her on a journey of self-discovery.
After a whirlwind courtship and fairy-tale marriage, Graham’s honeymoon with Ivy is short-lived. When tragedy strikes, Ivy sinks into the depths of despair, refusing to see anyone but her childhood best friend. Resentful of the strange hold Alice has over his wife, discouraged by Ivy’s persistent despondency, Graham turns elsewhere for comfort, spawning events that forever alter the course of their lives.
When the Alexander sisters learn the family fortune is gone, the rift between Lillian and her sister deepens as Lillian fights to save her family’s ancestral on Charleston’s prestigious East Battery. Ghosts from the past resurface and truths are revealed, leading to a dramatic conclusion not soon forgotten.