In 1866, tragedy strikes at the exclusive Windfield School. A young student drowns in a mysterious accident involving a small circle of boys. The drowning and its aftermath initiates a spiraling circle of treachery that will span three decades and entwine many loves... From the exclusive men`s club and brothels that cater to every dark desire of London`s upper classes to the dazzling ballrooms and mahogany-paneled suites of the manipulators of the world`s wealth, Ken Follett conjures up a stunning array of contrasts. This breathtaking novel portrays a family splintered by lust, bound by a shared legacy... men and women swept toward a perilous climax where greed, fed by the shocking truth of a boy`s death, must be stopped, or not just one man`s dreams, but those of a nation, will die...