The Southern Temple family has spent the years after the Civil War mourning the death of their golden boy, killed by a Union officer. His young widow, Judith, feels like a hypocrite, since she only knew him a few weeks and has since realised that she didn’t actually love him. Throckmorton and his son return to the neighbourhood, to be shunned by most of the neighbours, who can’t forget that Throckmorton fought against the South during the War. But he was a close friend of the Temples before the War and soon is accepted by the family, especially after he becomes the fiance of young Jacqueline Temple. But events don’t unfold as planned. (Goodreads)