"I want you to work with me, Mr. Hearn. And I'm not generally considered to be the sort of man who'll take no for an answer."

Grief-stricken after the death of his twin brother, unconventional scientist Sir Edward 'Ward' Carrick retreats to Trevathany, a remote village in Cornwall, to continue his work exploring the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds.

In Trevathany, he meets Nicholas Hearn, land steward to the Tremain family. When Ward learns that Nick's Romany mother was believed to be clairvoyant-and that Nick himself may have seen a ghost as a child-he becomes convinced that Nick is the perfect test subject for his work.

Unfortunately, Nick is unwilling to participate in Ward's experiments. However, as luck would have it, Ward finds himself in a position to force Nick to cooperate...

It's an inauspicious start. Nick is furious at having his hand forced by a high-handed aristocrat, while Ward grows increasingly frustrated at his lack of progress with his work. And yet, as the two men gradually learn more about one another-and discover their mutual physical attraction-they begin to form an undeniable bond.

But how strong is that bond? Is their fragile connection deep enough to withstand the gathering storm of Ward's growing obsession and Nick's doubts?