When Daniel proves in no hurry to collect her for another season on the Mary B, Emma takes the time to visit friends at River Bend on the Darling. What she isn't expecting is to find herself defending one of them from an accusation of murder when two men die in an exploding flour mill.

There are tensions among the Lockwood brothers and their wives, and Emma is struggling to unravel the truth among the lies and hidden agendas. When Lieutenant Forrester's official investigation brings down a conclusion that pleases the members of the Lockwood family, Emma wonders if there's more to discover.

Can she reveal the truth before she has to return home or will she be leaving a permanent cloud of doubt hanging over her friends.

And it isn't only the future of those at River Bend that hangs in the balance What will she find when she returns to Wirramilla? Are they finally free from the curse of that old promise? And what has she to look forward to if Daniel has finally tired of her company on the Mary B?