Ailis O'Neill is not the average Dublin society miss -she teaches English to the Gaelic peasants and paints the local wildlife. Her disdain for the English partisans is evident, but no more so than for Lord Clane. Little does she realize that he was once An Cu, a notorious highwayman who stole from the British and gave to the Irish poor. He was hailed as a hero - especially by Ailis - but someone is impersonating him and tarnishing his image. Exposing the imposter will mean damaging the Irish cause, and Lord Clane has more than his reputation to think of - he has Ailis's heart...