Victorian London has a secret weapon in its fight against disease -- its principle epidemiologist, Professor Shamus Bead. When children begin to die of an infantile paralysis-type illness. Bead, and his friend and associate, Dr. Jeptha Lawton, are called in to determine the real cause. When the murder trail leads to a photographer and his creepy twist on memento mori, Bead and Lawton uncover an even darker plot against the children of Albion. Through it all, Bead and Lawton must confront their own growing feelings toward each other, which is condemned by the very society they are attempting to save.