The first signs of early spring have begun to blossom in the year l392, and the Lady Apollonia is living in the home of her third husband in the city of Gloucester. Master Robert Windemere is a wealthy wool merchant and furrier, a former bailiff of the city. Lady Apollonia is faced with the news of the death of her fourth son when his squire is finally able to return to her in fulfillment of a vow to his master. Losses in her personal life are echoed by an outbreak of major crime and murder in Gloucester, led by the most fiercely inhuman villain the Lady has ever encountered. Apollonia and her husband must deal with the realities of schism within the church and Wycliffe's insistence upon reform. The Lady takes up the challenge to safeguard those who serve her and find a way to rid Gloucester of vicious criminals who enjoy powerful protection.