Erica Langston's comfortable home and loving family carry no outward hint of the sorrows and fears faced by her Acadian forbears, but she soon discovers that similar determination and fortitude will be required of her. When the British invade the fledging nation called the United States and march into Washington D.C., leaving death and destruction in their wake, Erica is left to deal with the creditors circling around the crumbling family business. It seems her only recourse is to travel to England to collect on outstanding debts held in a British bank. Erica's voyage to England is only the beginning of a much more significant journey. Her position with the family of a U.S. diplomat in the Court of St. James puts her in contact with a social reformer who introduces her to something she never anticipated—a reformation of the heart.