Set in turn-of-the-century London, Charley Wace is haunted by the moment his father fled into the night and disappeared. Faced with the workhouse, he is taken in by his Uncle, an eccentric but loving old man called Cave, his wife and their daughter Anna. Despite trying to integrate into his new family, Charley finds himself an invader in this fragile home. When his father's body is discovered, his sole possession is returned to him - a mysterious crystal egg. Believing the object to be of immense value, Cave sets about trying to sell the object.