Left orphaned and penniless by the horrors of the French Revolution, youngIsabella de Sauvigny and her brother, Guy, seek refuge in England with theirmaternal uncle, Sir Joshua Bridges. Unfortunately, Sir Joshua has never beenable to forgive his late sister for her impetuous marriage to the duo'sfather, and his wife is busy attending to her own son and daughter. Left totheir own devices, Guy, is increasingly drawn in to the dangerous world ofsmuggling while Belle faces her own perils: she falls in love with anopportunistic young Frenchman. then causes friction by marrying the manmeant for her cousin. Although she comes to love the kindly Robert Armitageas much as he loves her, their path is strewn with obstacles that woulddaunt the most intrepid of lovers.