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A band of mounted troopers rides into a Devon valley and becomes entangled with the household of a proud, enigmatic noblewoman, their military duties overlapping with personal loyalties. The narrative follows missions, secret errands, and social encounters that draw officers into political intrigue, romantic tension, and rivalry. Episodes include garden scenes, a violent duel in the woods, sea passages, and the arrival of foreign soldiers, leading to confrontation and a homecoming. Underlying concerns of honor, duty, seduction, and the human cost of service run through the intertwined episodes of adventure and courtship.
| “‘I give the lives of these gentlemen to you. Your secret is your own’” (p. 180) | Frontispiece |
| “Descending the steps, she stood facing me not ten paces distant” | facing 40 |
| “‘You!’ my lady gasped in a choking voice” | “ 90 |
| “He leaned against its knotted trunk, while the blood dripped steadily upon the grass” | “ 146 |
| “A very brief examination sufficed to assure me that the fellow was but stunned” | “ 224 |
| “On the threshold stood the Earl of Cleeve himself” | “ 262 |