War weary knight, Merrick de Beaucourt, wants nothing more than a simple life, a peaceful wife, and to oversee his new earldom. What he gets instead are orders from his king, Camrose Castle on the wild and rebellious Welsh borders, and a completely unbiddable wife. For six long years, Lady Clio has waited for her betrothed..waited, and waited. Once the news arrives that he is returning, Clio returns to Camrose to again await the man who ignored her, but now determined to make him pay for the years she languished in a convent. Clio leads Merrick a merry chase, and she takes on the role of an independent alewife, driven to discover the lost recipe for ancient "heather ale," a magical beer first made by the Picts. Surrounded by the enchanted mists that circle Camrose Castle, these head-strong adversaries embark on a sometimes passionate, sometimes hilarious battle of wills in this unusual 13th Century tale of a brave knight who seeks to claim--and tame--his bride, or so he thinks....