October 1886 . Catherine and Guillaume Duquesne set off to New York with their six-year-old daughter Elisabeth. But the young couple's dreams of freedom and independence soon turn into a nightmare when Catherine dies during the journey and Guillaume is assaulted and left for dead soon after their arrival on American soil.
A wealthy family adopts Elisabeth , who grows up spoiled and happy. But when she turns 16, she learns the truth about her origins and decides to return to France to meet her real family . Upon her arrival she realises that her grandfather's house, too, is seething with secrets ...