It is the end of the First World War and the men are returning home. Gwenllian Einon-Thomas cannot share in the feeling of joy at their return, however. Industrious, intelligent and fiercely determined, she has more than proven her mettle in the management of her country estate while her brothers fought and died in the war. For her, peacetime means the end of independence and the loss of her beloved ancestral home, which is entailed upon her cousin, Dick. A young soldier, enfeebled by his injuries Dick is looking forward to a tranquil life in the Welsh countryside. Instead he finds himself drawn into an even deadlier battle. This dark and unsettling tale was first published by Gollancz in 1932, and was dramatised for the stage and screen.