Adrien Villere suspects he is not like other boys. For years, he desperately locks away his feelings and fears--but eventually, tragedy and loss drive him to seeking solace from his mentor, a young neighbor Jacob Hart. Jacob's betrayal of Adrien's trust, however, results in secret abuse, setting off a chain of actions from which neither Adrien's wise sister, Bernadette, nor his closest friend, Isaac, can turn him.

At What Cost, Silence presents two contrasting plantation families in a society where strict rules of belief and behavior are clear, and public opinion can shape an entire life. Centerstage are the Villeres, a family less brutal than the Harts, but no less divisive. Often-absent Papa Paien Villere guards several secrets he has kept from everyone--including one which could destroy his entire family. Years after Jacob's betrayal, Adrien falls hopelessly in love with his former mentor's erotically precocious and beautiful young sister Lily--whose father has affianced her to a wealthy older man.

What will happen if Lily's violent brother learns of Adrien and Lily's clandestine affair? Will Adrien aid in freeing Isaac--an enslaved Black man--as promised? Will Bernadette find the unconventional life she seeks? Or will their entire world end as states secede and war creeps ever closer?