1713. There is peace in Europe at last. A small party heads to Italy, supposedly to continue their education.
Accompanying the Viscount Stilwell and his servant Thomas Noon is Lucius Jelborne, sometime author and full-time tutor. While neither his Lordship nor his servant has been beyond England's borders before, Jelborne seems well known wherever they arrive.
A sudden death brings grief to the party, and secrets that were supposed to remain buried are forced to light. The survivors travel from Venice to Rome, heading south towards Naples, trapped in webs of intrigue and love, where no man can be certain of another's role. The uncertain education received is very different from the one intended.
