New York, 1898. The only thing more shocking than Arthur Stanhope III's unexpected death is the revelation that his will bestows his company -- and most of the vast fortune that goes with it -- to the nearest male heir, leaving his mother, wife, and daughter nearly impoverished. His widow, Sylvia, quickly realizes she must set aside her grief to ensure their daughter, Adelaide, is launched into society as soon as the appropriate mourning period passes....