Finding herself back in Edinburgh after years in exile, Ruth is grappling with the breakdown of her marriage, the end of her career, and, most recently, the passing of her estranged father. Tasked with the overwhelming job of sorting through his belongings, she believes her father erased all remnants of her mother, only to discover a concealed cupboard in a secluded top-floor room, filled with her possessions. It is here, amid ancient papers, that Ruth stumbles upon diaries and letters of an eighteenth-century ancestor, Thomas Erskine.

Thomas, the youngest son of an impoverished noble family, knew he had to forge his path. Barred from university, he climbs the military ranks, exploring the world before earning his legal education, eventually ascending to the position of Lord Chancellor. However, his efforts have earned him a formidable foe, one that pursues him and his lineage beyond the grave.

Ruth, progressively immersed in Thomas’s narrative, feels his presence, and that of his adversary, encroaching upon her reality. She must rely on newfound allies and old friends in a fight for her very existence, unlocking an unprecedented internal strength.

The book features a dual timeline that moves between contemporary Britain and the 1700s.