1527. In Florence, jewel city of the Renaissance, a premeditated murder unexpectedly opens the door to the rise of Rene Bianco, a man capable of both cruelty and creative genius. His inclusion as part of the retinue of Catherine de' Medici propels him into the highest levels of the French royal court. As the queen's perfumer, Rene becomes entangled in the power politics of the day, maintaining a delicate balance between his devotion to her and his vulnerability to the scheming ambition of Diane de Poitiers. 1906. Wealthy heiress Cristina Haig flees an unwanted marriage proposal in England for the French Riviera. While visiting her friends Michel and Madie at their parfumerie in Nice, they stumble upon a secret worth a fortune. From the volatility, corruption, and creativity of sixteenth century Florence to the intrigue of the French court, snowy London and the fragrant flower-growing centres of the French Riviera, they follow the clues that bring them closer and closer to danger and, ultimately, to Rene himself.