Pregnant and abandoned by her husband, Alice Butterworth leaves Chicago’s bitter cold and travels to New Orleans, where she offers sewing lessons at an orphanage. Young widow Constance Halstead has thrown herself into charity work since her husband’s death. Seeing Alice’s skill, she offers lodging in exchange for help creating a gown for the Leap Year ball of Les Mysterieuses, the first all-female krewe of Mardi Gras. As the breathtaking gown takes shape piece by piece, it becomes a symbol of empowerment for them both. But overshadowing all is the Black Hand, the vicious New Orleans gang to whom Constance’s husband was deep in debt. As Mardi Gras draws near, a secret emerges that will cement the bond between Alice and Constance, even as it threatens the new lives each is building.