The year is 1682, and Reuben and his cousin Doctor Brittlebank are visiting the eccentric Lord and Lady Marley when Reuben stumbles upon a dark and terrible secret: something is hidden in the ruined chapel—something that men would kill for. But before he can share his discovery, the Doctor is whisked away on an important trip. Reuben is left at Marley Manor feeling terribly alone, while the lady of the house, Lady Marley, is desperate for a child. When a preacher calls and promises to help her conceive, she takes his advice and trusts him, despite Reuben's warnings. Nobody believes Reuben when he speaks against the preacher, so he sets out on a frightening journey—with the preacher never far behind.