After a medical discharge from the Napoleonic War, a disillusioned Thomas Quincy Fitzbatten returns home, wanting to make a difference in the world. When the niece of his butler arrives, pregnant and abandoned, Thomas sees an opportunity to help Ruth Dawson out of her predicament, and offers to marry her. But Ruth has a secret from her past, and when it comes to light, Thomas and Ruth risk their newfound love as they sift through deceit and treachery to find the truth.