1665. King Charles II has returned from exile but the scars of the English Civil Wars are yet to heal and now the Great Plague engulfs the land. When Alethea is cast out on the streets of London, a long road to Derbyshire lies ahead of her.
As England slides towards invasion by the Protestant forces of Prince William of Orange, Nicolas becomes entangled in conspiracies within King James’s court – and soon learns that both truth and love come at a high price.
1690. Nicholas Hawthorne of Measham Hall is enlisted to fight in William III's wars in Ireland, but he's playing a dangerous double game. Meanwhile, his father faces a different problem – one which both must conquer together.