Isabelle falls prey to a scam run by a con artist named Walsh in which she loses her own and some of Reverend Trent's church money when she buys property she has been led to believe contains gold. Realizing her folly, she reluctantly asks Grief for help. Together with Mauriti, they follow the trail of the con artists, who have been taken hostage by a group of thugs who fell for Walsh's claims of gold, and are using islanders as slave labor to dig for their supposed treasure. Grief, Mauriti, and Isabelle, disguise themselves and infiltrate the slave group, intent on protecting the islanders and retrieving Isabelle and Trent's money from the newly humbled Walsh. Back in Matavai, Lavinia's involvement with a French naval officer named Lacombe makes Grief question whether letting her go was the right decision. When Lacombe is transferred back to France and wants to take Lavinia with him as his wife, she is tempted, but ultimately realizes her heart and her love are in Matavai.
—Anonymous