John Akehurst and Elizabeth Haines were brutally murdered in a quiet English village. Their deaths in 1826 were real and have now inspired this fictional account of that event, with its tragic consequences for the principal character, Mary Ayres. The story centres on a wealthy and ruthless man intent on seeking retribution for a wrong committed to his family years earlier, who befriends her. His abandonment of her trust and love inflame her passion with heartrending results. This is a story of love, betrayal and tragedy.