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Dunfermline, 26 April 1297. Margaret Kerr has endured a long, lonely winter, with her heart as cold as the sleet falling on Scotland. Her husband, Roger, has been missing since Martinmas in November, when he rode off to Edinburgh, and Margaret doesn't know if he is still alive. As spring approaches, Jack Sinclair, her husband's young cousin and the factor in his trading business, pledges to find him.
Then Jack's body is carried home from that same fog-shrouded city, his death attributed to a brawl. But Margaret dares to inspect the corpse and discovers that Jack did not die from a simple beating - he was viciously mutilated. Leaving her quiet life as a merchant's daughter, the young, vibrant woman decides to search for her husband and for Jack's killer.
Margaret soon finds herself in a harsh world that is no place for a lone woman. Seeking shelter with her uncle, an innkeeper who is reluctant to have her in his household, Margaret knows her mission will test both her prowess and her loyalties. English troops occupy Edinburgh, and Roger's trail leads into a dangerous labyrinth of politics and betrayal.
