1890. Victorian England. Twenty-year old Michael Callahan is a talented architect who, after being discovered by his father with another man, secretly sails to England to start his life anew as Colin Edwards. Acting on information that his idol, Henry Sewell, is like-minded, Colin seduces his way into a job and Henry's heart. Colin is introduced to new worlds via the older and more experienced Henry, who takes the scandalous step of adopting Colin so that they may live and travel together freely. Along the way Colin explores what it means to be gay, Catholic, an architect ahead of his time, and the object of affection by more than one man (and woman).