Baron Mullens' solution for combating the plague is to destroy the homes of those who contracted the disease and kill anyone who came in contact with those afflicted. While poaching on Mullens land, Cedric Grey stumbles upon a young woman and three children who have managed to escape Mullens' scorched earth medical treatment and helps them escape to Covington Cross. When his father denies the peasants sanctuary, Cedric determines to help them find refuge in a Carmelite monastery, but to reach it, they must cross the baron's land again, placing the small group in ...