Gideon Tugwell becomes head of the house when his father falls ill. The first thing he must do is recover the gold his father buried during the first battle of the war. But as he leaves, Gideon worries that he's being followed by a conniving slave catcher who plans to take the gold for himself -.
Emily Lodge despises the way her cousin William treats his slaves. When she steps in to help a field hand, William is furious and threatens to throw Emily out if she interferes again. She wants nothing more than to return to Illinois, but not until Gideon is home so she can say good-bye -.
Nat Travis's first attempt to escape slavery failed. But he soon learns about the Underground Railroad white abolitionists helping slaves flee to the North. When he hears that a slave boy on a neighboring plantation could be his brother, Nat slips away to find him. Can he return to Briarstone before someone notices his absence?
