Leaving the safety of Victorian England, Christabel accepts a post in far-off Austria. On arrival, she is immediately intrigued by the fairytale castle and its inhabitants including the spoiled and willful Liesel Von Holstein, the handsome widower Count Max Von Holstein, the eccentric Aunt Gisela, and a host of resentful servants. As Christabel establishes herself in her new role, she can't help being drawn to the unsolved mysteries of the past. What is the connection between her family heirloom, a rare serpent bracelet, and the Von Holsteins? From lakeside country to the bustle of 1870s Vienna, Christabel moves closer to her fate and to a secret, dangerous past.