This novel, set during the Jacobite Rebellion in Scotland in 1745, tells the story of Francis Birkenshaw, a young Edinburgh man intent on leading a life of debauchery until he chances upon the beautiful Margaret Murray, wife of the Bonnie Prince's secretary. Francis is soon led down a dangerous and adventurous road with Margaret's husband, the villainous traitor John Murray of Broughton. A dark tale of love and betrayal, A Lost Lady of Old Years is also a compelling portrait of this turbulent time in European history.