"Dara Willcox, up in New York for a weekend, meets Austin Clarke at an art gallery. ... These two vivid, ambitious people are on different trajectories: he's British, working temporarily in New York. She's set on law school. They don't care. They will make their lives together happen. At their engagement dinner at Dara's family home, her mother Lee sets a beautiful table and the family and close friends gather to celebrate. Rich, Dara's father, raises a toast. Suddenly, Lee spills the wine, a brilliant red stain splashing onto the tablecloth and onto Austin. Days later, Austin hears unsettling news from London that threatens to wreck his plans. When Dara learns of the problem, she abruptly cancels the wedding. She refuses to reveal the reason"--
