Charlotte Lawson is a wealthy socialite, a scion of Atlanta society. A child prodigy, she faces a promising career as a performance artist, majoring in piano and organ. She is completing her studies with Wilhelm Kreiser, one of the most sought-after teachers in the country. Charlotte, reeling from a sudden breakup with her fiancé, flings herself at her teacher, and ends up falling in love with Kreiser. Then something goes terribly wrong, and Charlotte flees Atlanta. She develops performance anxiety, and gives up her dreams of public performance. She struggles to pull herself back together, with the help of her childhood friend, Gerard Fellowes, one of the wealthiest and most eligible bachelors in the country. However, her path keeps crossing that of Kreiser. She finds herself still drawn to him. He encourages her, only to abandon her. Out of the blue, Kreiser is murdered. Suddenly Charlotte finds herself a suspect, as the police's search for evidence points to her and the net begins to tighten.