The year is 1795: Kirsten's father is anxious to marry off the last of his seven daughters. The man he wants her to marry has everything: he's handsome, wealthy, influential. But rumors surround Valdemar, the prospective bridegroom.

Servants whisper he is cursed. Local folklore tells of a string of women who perish under strange circumstances. The kitchen staff lay wagers that the bride will be dead within a week, like his last wife.

The wedding takes place on schedule. And to Kirsten's mounting horror, she finds out that not only are the rumors true, but they are only the beginning of Valdemar's many, dark secrets.