Poor, orphaned Grace Parkes is in a horrible situation. Her illegitimate child has just died in childbirth, so she's traveled to the Brookwood Cemetery to place the small infant's body in a rich lady's coffin. Following the advice of a kindly midwife, this is the only way that Grace can do right by the little baby, and to avoid the disgrace of a pauper's grave.

Grace meets two people at the cemetery who will have a most unusual affect on her life, though she doesn't know that yet. For now, Grace has to suppress her grief and get on with her meager life, scraping together enough pennies selling watercress for rent and food, and looking after her older sister, who is incapable of caring for herself. But a great fraud has been perpetrated on young Grace - and she is secretly the recipient of a most unusual legacy -- if only she is able to claim it. Of course, the rich only get richer in this gothic tale of class distinctions, mysterious secrets, and malicious fraud.