London, 1887. When governess Eleanor Hartwell receives an unexpected summons to Yorkshire, she discovers she has inherited a substantial fortune from a distant cousin she barely knew-Cornelius Ashford, a reclusive botanist who died under mysterious circumstances. But there's a catch: she must live in his crumbling manor for six months, or the entire estate passes to a charitable foundation. As Eleanor settles into Ashford Manor, she uncovers a web of secrets hidden within locked rooms, coded letters, and a magnificent greenhouse filled with exotic orchids. Her inheritance is contested by bitter relatives, forcing her into a desperate search for the truth about Cornelius's past. With the help of Dr. James Thornbury, a local physician and amateur naturalist, Eleanor begins to decode decades-old correspondence that reveals a passionate intellectual partnership, a brilliant scientific discovery stolen by powerful interests, and payments flowing from a mysterious benefactor for twenty-five years.