The intrepid peddler, Roger the Chapman, returns home after months on the road, only to learn that his wife has left him after hearing that he fathered an illegitimate child. Panicked, Roger follows his wife to London after learning she's staying with distant cousins, the Godsloves. After he pleads his case and his wife agrees to reconcile, Roger learns that the Godsloves believe they're under a curse; after urging from his wife, he investigates their claim. In the chaos of London in the wake of the death of King Edward IV, Roger employs all his considerable investigative skills to the Godslove case and eventually learns of a terrible secret from their past.