For nearly a hundred and fifty years, a manuscript left in haste by a Jesuit fleeing deportation has lain hidden in a remote area of Mexico. When Elaine Ross, a junior archivist at the Huntington Library sees a picture of the valuable tome, she becomes intrigued by its enigmatic owner, Richard Bordas, a Mexican oil tycoon. After a whirlwind courtship, she marries Richard and moves with him to his remote hacienda in Mexico. When they first meet, Richard is charming and solicitous but once the couple moves to Mexico, he spends long periods away from her in the Tampico oil fields. She must let go of everything she hoped for―love, a family, and meaningful life among people she cares for. She returns to her search for the manuscript but opens the door to a dangerous secret better left uncovered.