Although not a stranger to the raw realities of her medieval world, Madselin, being of royal descent, has grown up a bit shallow, willful and self-absorbed. At the age of 17, she becomes the wife of an aging Saxon lord only to find herself, in the space of a few short days, mourning the loss of her husband, land, title, and friends.

The novel opens in the winter of 1067, 16 months after the French victory at the Battle of Hastings. Now a widow, Madselin is hiding in a convent from the Norman usurpers who have brutally murdered her husband and taken over the little farming community.

Rolf, armorer of William the Conqueror, has been rewarded with a fiefdom for his loyal service. Despite his lack of noble pedigree, he is now lord of the manor that once belonged to Madselin's husband. And while conscious of his social inferiority, his rough upbringing has given him highly honed survival instincts, and beneath his calm aloofness lies a quick mind and strong heart.

Norah Lofts spins a fascinating tale of suspense in medieval England with an exciting and unexpected finale.