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. With her latest commission from rich French merchant Crenardieu—sewing garments from luxurious blue silk—she will finally be able to leave and be free of Ryle forever. 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. For Dominic is the father of her son, although he does not know it. And although they discover neither her love, nor his, has ever died, she still cannot tell him the truth. Not yet. Tragically, however, Gisela waits too long.
Dominic discovers not only that Gisela has lied to him about the stolen silks, and has concealed them in her shop, 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.
Crenardieu'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. And then she must confront Ryle, the dragon of her nightmares...
