When newlyweds Sir James and Lady Cecilia Branstoke visit a widow to console her on the death of her husband, they discover some things don't add up about the death of the young lord. Worse, a man who won't state his purpose, yet clearly is with the military, wants carte blanche to search the dead man's library. What begins as sympathy and concern for a troubled neighbor escalates into a mystery with reverberations at the highest level of government. Sir James and Lady Cecilia soon discover that a shipment of gold and guns meant to help in the war against Napoleon has been stolen, a fact which pits thief against thief and ally against ally. Stuck in the middle, the Branstokes must dodge knives, fires, and pistoles as they, too, race to find the missing shipment. With danger lurking around every corner, will Cecilia and Sir James come out ahead, or will they come to regret taking this case on their honeymoon?