The son of a beautiful socialite and a British diplomat, Michael is brought up in Sombreado, Uruguay alongside his guardian's daughter Maria, and the pair are inseparable Even when he is sent to school in England, the family ranch remains Michael's home and when his schooling is complete, there is never any doubt that he will return to Sombreado, to Maria But when Micheal returns to Montevideo in 1939, his steamer crosses paths with a German warship - an ominous sign of the conflict to come And though Uruguay is neutral in the coming conflict, Michael is to be allowed no such luxury the British Legation want him to make the most of his family connections In a war, the English ambassador explains, everyone has to take sides