Against the turbulent backdrop of the English Civil War, where political treachery and religious persecution are commonplace, an unlikely romance springs up between Catherine Trefelner, a beautiful villager, and Robert Bradshaw, co-heir to one of Cornwall's richest estates.
Staunch Royalists, Robert and his twin brother, Julian, are loyal to the clever, but misguided King Charles, while Catherine's father is a fanatical Puritan, living for the day the Parliamentarian Army unseats the king and makes Royalists conform or seek refuge in France.
As Catherine navigates the challenges of her new life as Lady of the Manor, her father constantly threatens vengeance over her marriage to a Royalist. Ever cynical, Julian continues to question Catherine's motive for marrying his brother, and what follows is a spine-tingling tale of love, hate, revenge, envy, mercy and redemption during one of the most chaotic and unstable times in England's history.