In 1804, a dying sailor in Wapping taunts his nephews with a bag of gems from an Indian monarch, then perishes before revealing their hiding place. The nephews tear his cottage apart, find nothing, and depart in bitter enmity. A century later, young Sir George Burnikel learns his father has squandered the family fortune, leaving him with a title but no income. A solicitor urges him to marry money; Lady Frances, his politically astute friend, offers funds for a parliamentary career he refuses in pride. Then comes Robert, a Wapping boat-builder with an unsettling resemblance to that 1804 ancestor, who believes the jewel legend still holds and needs George's help to enter Parliament as an Independent. George journeys down to Wapping, to the Thames-side taverns and Execution Dock where sailors once met their end, to chase a mystery that may restore his fortunes or destroy what remains of his family. Besant weaves Victorian London's glittering ambition against its grimy dockside reality, asking what we owe to names we inherit and whether the past releases us easily.
