An American scholar (Aaron Eckhart) discovers that Victorian-era poet Randolph Ash (Jeremy Northam) had a secret affair with lesser-known poet Christabel LaMotte (Jennifer Ehle) -- the subject of another scholar's (Gwyneth Paltrow) studies -- even though Ash was married and LaMotte was a "chaste spinster." As the two academics investigate the romance between their subjects, they find themselves wrapped up in the drama as well.