This anonymous tale is about Olivia, the daughter of a plantation owner and his black slave. She is married off to her cousin, Augustus, in England. This happens in the last will of her father, so if they disagree with the arrangement, the money will not be inherited. On the way to England, Olivia meets Mrs. Honeymoon and her son.
She arrives to find that although it isn't as bad in England, there is still tremendous racial prejudice against her, and she feels that Mrs. Merton, Augustus's sister-in-law, is racist. Nevertheless, the couple is married, and they find happiness for a while, and they inherit the fortune, but then one day, Olivia discovers a secret.
It turns out, that Augustus was already married. He lied to her saying his wife had died, but technically, their marriage is illegal, because she is alive. She escapes the brother with the help of her maid, Dido, who takes her to the border of Wales. When she meets up with Mrs. Honeymoon's son, she thinks for a moment about being with him instead, but she is broken up with Augustus—heartbroken.
She decides to go with Dido back to Jamaica, to get a complete change of scenery. In Jamaica, she finds a community of black people who live there and focus their time on the healing of their minds from Western racism.
