Married by proxy to a man she has never met, Cathryn Grandison becomes mistress of Monkton, a fortified estate without a master. In Michael Scot, doctor and philosopher, Cathryn finds companionship and comfort. And in Symon, saint or devil, she finds passionate love. As the fruit of her love grows in her womb, Cathryn faces suspicion, plague, murder - and the wrath of her unknown husband.