His Excellency Don Manuel de Cisneros, a wealthy sugar cane and tobacco farmer from Cuba, sends a representative to the convent of Our Lady of Guadalupe in San Antonio, Texas, to find a proper governess for his young son, Juan. Carlotta, an orphan raised at the convent, is chosen by Mother Maria. The sisters are sad to see their chula go, but gift her with new clothes and prayers. Carlotta boards the Don's boat in Galveston for her journey to Havana, Cuba. The boat stops for supplies in New Orleans.Carlotta strolls the dock, where a dark-skinned dock worker tells her, "You are chosen, my child. Do you understand? The man and the woman, they are not what they seem, do you hear? There is a gift waiting for you," she warns. "Do not accept it. It comes from evil hands."

In Havana Carlotta is met by Don Manuel's trusted servant, Carlos. As she boards the elegant carriage that will transport her to Don Manuel's remote plantation Carlotta notices a tall, dark man watching her. She is intimidated yet intrigued by the man and hurriedly boards the carriage.

The atmosphere at the plantation is welcoming. Carlotta is treated with respect and showered with unaccustomed luxuries. She sleeps fitfully her first night and when she awakens the next morning she finds a necklace of blue beads on her nightstand. The beads frighten the maid who warns Carlotta, "Say nothing of this to anyone."

Carlotta takes immediately to Juan,and,upon their first meeting, is warned by Don Manuel not to venture from the mansion and the grounds. "There are dangers here, but you will remain safe if you do as I say," the gracious Don warns her. Carlotta is further disturbed by the cruel treatment of the plantation workers; the mysterious responses of the household staff to questions regarding Don Manuel's deceased wife Cassandra and, most of all, by the nightly wailing of the Santeria drums.

Don Manuel holds a fiesta. Carlotta wanders into the gardens for cool air. Daydreaming, she loses her way. As she panics, someone grabs her arm. It is the handsome stranger she spotted in Havana! Refusing to identify himself he leads Carlotta back to the house and then disappears.

The rains begin and Carlotta becomes restless. One morning she awakens to sunshine and a beautiful orchid on her nightstand. Mamita, an aloof servant, is spooked by the orchid and warns Carlotta, "El Senor does not allow orchids here." Unnerved by Mamita's admonishment, Carlotta walks in the gardens to clear her head. She again loses her way and ends up deep in the tropical forest where she is witness to the mistreatment of workers. As she sits sobbing beneath a tree the handsome stranger again appears. He explains that the workers are slaves, taken from their African homeland to work on Don Manuel's plantations. "Don Manuel cares only for money," h e tells her, and that Mamita, his servant, is dangerous. "Why should I trust you?" Carlotta asks, "I don't even know your name." "Better that you don't for now." he replies. "Just think of me as your guardian angel."

Don Manuel soon departs for Spain. Mamita and Juan travel to Havana for a few days to visit an ailing relative. Carlotta finds a second orchid and discovers a door behind a wall tapestry in her suite. With everyone gone, she searches Mamita's room and finds letters from Cassandra to someone named Thomas. She also finds a key to the door behind the tapestry in her room, where she discovers a secret tunnel holding clothes and old maps. As she puts the pieces together she realizes it is Mamita who is trying to scare her.

As Carlotta pines for the handsome stranger a note arrives asking her to meet him in the village. Reaching the village during the heat of the day, Carlotta is caught in a thunderstorm. The stranger gallops up on horseback, scoops her up and takes her to his small hut where he kindles a fire and gives her dry clothes. She tells him of her findings and he urges her to not return to Don Manuel's house. She insists; he relents -- on the condition that she return the letters and key to Mamita's room. Carlotta agrees but is caught by Mamita, who slips her a drugged drink. When Carlotta awakens, the letters have been taken. As she heads for Juan's study Carlos grabs her and whispers, "There is more to this house than you understand. You must end your amateur investigation immediately. She knows."

That night Carlotta drifts off to sleep despite the throb of the Santeria drums, only to be awakened by the rustling of the moving tapestry. It is the handsome stranger! He holds a beautiful orchid! "So it was you all along?" she asks. He tells her yes and says, "Chula, we must get out of here." They race through the tunnel and out onto the terrace where he announces, "My name is Thomas Browne." He is the Thomas in Cassandra's letters! Carlotta's heart sinks."Cassie is my sister, not my lover," he explains. "Do you love me?" Carlotta asks. "From the moment I saw you on the dock in Havana," Thomas exclaims. They kiss, then take off into the night.

The following evening Thomas takes Carlotta to a Santerian ceremony where he introduces her to Babalocha, a Santerian priest. Leaving behind the chanting, swaying villagers, Babalocha leads them to his hut where he gives them both a bitter concoction. "First, drink this. It will help you maintain your strength for the days ahead." As they drink Babalocha begins, "I believe Cassandra to be alive." "Where?" Thomas asks. Carlos enters and replies, "In Don Manuel's house in Havana.She is alive but very weak. Don Manuel and Mamita are going to move her tomorrow during Carnival. I heard them from the tunnel in the house. They plan to leave the country. We have to stop them." Babalocha and Carlos explain the plan to rescue Cassandra and they all leave for Havana immediately.

In Havana the group splits up according to the plan. Carlotta and Thomas enter Don Manuel's unlocked house and find Cassie restrained to a bed. She is frail, sunken into the center of a feather bed, barely breathing. "I'm going for Babalocha!" Carlotta declares. She tears through the crowd of masked Carnival revelers and finds Babalocha at the harbor where he exclaims, "Carlos has killed Don Manuel." Carlotta and Babalocha make their way back to the house and Babalocha provides medical assistance to Cassie just in time and Juan is reunited with his mother.

Carlotta and Thomas soon marry and make their home in Miami. Carlotta gives birth to a beautiful baby girl, whom she names Maria after Carlotta's beloved Mother Maria. In the spring of 1898 Carlotta returns to the convent of Our Lady of Guadalupe with her husband and child. Carlotta announces to the sisters that she has a surprise. She explains that after Don Manuel died, his holdings were legally transferred to Juan. The plantation held too many bad memories for Juan and his mother so they had offered it to Thomas and Carlotta, but Thomas and Carlotta had a better plan. "Juan has signed the deed over to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Effective immediately the house belongs to you, to do with as you wish." The sisters are speechless. Carlotta tells them, "You cared for me when I had no one else in the world, and I am just giving back a small portion of the generosity you've shown me."