Returning to New York, Elizabeth is drawn ever deeper into the dangerous intrigues that swirl around General William Howe-and the increasingly passionate attentions of Dr. Pieter Vander Groot, who allegiance now belongs to the rebels. When Carleton is forced to take the doctor prisoner, Elizabeth moves to Philadelphia to wait for Howe's attack on the city.
With the Americans digging in at Brandywine Creek, Carleton is betrayed by a trusted aide and comes within a hair's breadth of being captured. Washington orders him to the upper Hudson Valley, where a force commanded by British General John Burgoyne closes in on Saratoga. With decisive battles looming on all fronts, Elizabeth and Carleton are torn from each other's arms to face a crucible of war and trial that will test their mettle and their love to the very limits.