Assaulted and injured by her abusive husband Ryle, Gisela Anne Balewyne flees with her small son, Ewan. Hiding from Ryle and working as a tailor in the town of Clovebury, Gisela struggles to save enough money to move north and start a new life. All goes well until Dominic de Terre, back several years from the Crusade, accepts his lord de Lanceau's mission to find out who has stolen de Lanceau's cloth shipment, worth a fortune.

Dominic discovers not only that Gisela has lied to him about the stolen silks concealed in her shop, but he learns Ewan is his illegitimate son. She has betrayed his trust not once, but twice, and Gisela expects him to arrest her and take Ewan away. French merchant Crenardiue's thugs, however, reach Dominic first, and Gisela realizes there is only one way to save his life. She must go to de Lanceau, admit her crimes, and convince him to let her help him save Dominic.