When Marie Penthievre of Chalendrey is abducted from her Norman priory and taken to Brittany's court, she vows never to dishonor her family's ties by marrying a Breton brute. There is only one man who might change her mind: Tiarnan of Talensac, a handsome, skilled, and noble knight indeed. But Tiarnan does not love her, and when he marries a slip of a girl instead, Marie vows to become a nun as soon as she is able.

But Tiarnan has a secret, and that slip of a girl betrays him once she learns of it. When Tiarnan disappears and is presumed dead, his widow marries his one-time rival and assumes title to his land, which steadily begins to decline under her unskilled, merciless rule. Marie knows something is wrong, and only she is clear-headed enough to rescue Tiarnan and return him to his rightful status. But can she do so before it is too late?