A governess is hired to look after two neglected children, who show signs of having been corrupted by the insidious influence of the groom Peter Quint. Quint, although hanged for murder, still makes an appearance among the shadows of the manor house along with Miss Jessel, a previous governess who took her own life.
Lonely young Marie and her father live on a plantation just before the Civil War. Their placid lives are invaded when they rescue a mysterious woman from a carriage wreck, and soon bodies start turning up with holes in their necks...
A crusty Old West hermit relates the story of the love of his life, Irene. Before her birth, Irene's family was visited by a mysterious panther, which has followed them through the years, and interferes in the security of her marriage and future.