Every year Yorktown, Virginia, relives its role in the Revolutionary War by celebrating the anniversary of the British surrender in 1781. This year, plans include a reenactment of the original battle and a colonial crafts fair. Meg Langslow has returned to her hometown for the festivities - and to sell her wrought-iron works of art. Except, of course, for the pink-painted flamingos she reluctantly made for her mother's best friend: She's hoping to deliver them secretly, so she won't get a reputation as "the blacksmith who makes those cute wrought-iron flamingos".

She has also taken on another responsibility: making sure none of her fellow crafters ruin the historical authenticity of the fair with forbidden modern devices, like wristwatches, calculators, or cell phones. She's only doing it to keep peace with the mother of the man she loves. And Michael himself will don the white-and-gold uniform of a French officer for the reenactment. What actor could resist a role like that?

Meg's also trying to keep her father from scaring too many tourists with his impersonation of an eighteenth-century physician and preventing a snooping reporter from publishing any stories about local scandals - not to mention saving her naive brother, Rob, from the clutches of a con man who might steal the computer game he has invented. It's a tough job, especially when the swindler is found dead in Meg's booth.

Now Meg must add another item to her already lengthy to-do list: "Don't forget to solve the murder!"