In John Galsworthy's last written novel, the conclusion of the final trilogy in his epic Forsyte Chronicles, Dinny Charwell is recovering steadily from her disastrous late love affair while now it is her sister, Clare, who is in trouble. After just eighteen months of marriage, Clare has fled from her highly esteemed but sadistic husband, Gerald, in Ceylon and boarded a ship back to England. On the boat, she meets a charming but penniless expatriate named Tony Croom, who falls madly in love with her. They develop a close but platonic relationship, unaware that Clare's husband has set detectives on her. When Clare refuses to return to her husband, he accuses her of adultery with Tony in a highly public divorce court. Though Clare wants nothing more than to divorce Gerald, she must fight the false accusation to defend her family's honor.