Philip, an orphan, was taken in and brought up by his cousin Ambrose, a Devon landowner he loves like a father. When Ambrose travels to Tuscany for his health, he meets and marries his half-Italian cousin Rachel, but their idyllic life soon deteriorates. Before he dies, Ambrose warns Philip that Rachel is slowly killing him, and Philip becomes determined to uncover the truth. When Rachel later arrives at Philip's estate, he expects a cold confrontation but instead finds a woman who is beautiful, elegant, intelligent, and sensitive — and falls deeply in love with her.