The Napoleonic war leaves Catherine Morgan, widowed and desolate, her life and land up for grabs. With two daughters and her debts mounting, she is easy prey for the power-hungry sheriff, Huw, who demands her hand in marriage. Driven by despair and a glimmer of hope, Catherine turns to Huw's half brother, Rhys, a drunken womanizer, whose skills as a drover may prove the way to her salvation.