In 1759 Catherine Bradshaw travels from London to the colony of New York to join her future husband, Jeremy Flint, a man she barely knows but already fears. Immediately after the wedding ceremony, their coach is waylaid by Rive St. Clair, a French Army captain who has sworn vengeance against Flint. Rive abducts Catherine and heads north, confident that Flint will pursue. Sixteen years earlier, Flint instigated a massacre at an Indian village, and now Rive intends to lure him back to that same village and see justice done. As Rive forges a path through the wilderness, Catherine's indomitable spirit and resilience are put to the test. She is frightened of her surroundings and the man who holds her fate in his hands. Rive makes no secret of his desire for her, and she is determined to resist her own growing attraction. Their journey will take them to Quebec City, the French stronghold where Rive must make a final stand against the British. Will Rive lose his life just as Catherine realizes her true feelings for him?