"When Harry Westcott shipped off to fight in the Napoleonic Wars, he was near-fatally wounded. After recovering, the once cheery, light-hearted boy has become a reclusive man. Though Harry insists he enjoys the solitude, he does wonder sometimes if he is lonely. Lydia Tavernor, recently widowed, dreams of taking a lover. Her marriage to Reverend Isaiah Tavernor was one of service and obedience. Sometimes, she wonders if she is lonely. They find themselves alone together one night, and Lydia surprises even herself with a simple question, 'Are you ever lonely?' Harry's answer leads them down a path neither could ever have imagined"--Back cover.