It's late 1869. England is buzzing with talk of an impending war between France and Prussia. The world seems to be a pot nearing the boiling point. For Dr. Hugh Courtenay, however, the world is unchanged. The events unfolding all around him cannot penetrate the grey stone walls of his estate. They are a barrier behind which he hides like a fugitive. He has locked himself away in an attempt to deal with the demons that haunt his memories. The only invaders inside his sanctuary are the events from his past. The inescapable visions and voices that torment him. Dr. Courtenay's solitary existence is disrupted when a visitor arrives at Rellingford. She is a servant, though Dr. Courtenay quickly finds that she is much more than she appears. Her presence is both disturbing and intriguing, and it isn't long before she begins to break down some of the barriers behind which he has hidden for so long. The world around him begins to encroach upon his sanctuary as the woman's presence begins to bring others to Rellingford's door. Before long, Dr. Courtenay finds himself in the midst of a plot that will divide his family and could bring his nation to the brink of war.