The faithful servant returns to England from a long journey to holy places with the body of his deceased master and an invaluable casket meant by his master as a dowry for the goddaughter. Defending the honor of the dead, the young man draws upon himself an accusation of heresy. And then—another murder happens: they kill the man who slandered him. The case of clearing the innocent is taken up by a detective in a monk’s robe—Brother Cadfael.