Desperate to escape the military, Otto von Goff marries wealthy heiress Hildegard von Puttkamer in a marriage of convenience. Even though they are fond of each other, Hildegard needs Otto to help ensure her family's beautiful Prussian estate of Schönwald stays within her control. True to form, when Hildegard's father passes away, Otto inherits the estate as Hildegard's husband. But the von Puttkamer family wants Schönwald for their own and will stop at nothing to get it ... Years later, in 1860, Hildegard's mother dies, and her will reveals an alarming message: Hildegard's distant male cousin, Berthold, is to take charge of Hildegard's inheritance instead of Otto, a move that threatens to strip Hildegard and her daughter of their rightful heritage in Schönwald. Not only must Otto contest the will to safeguard his wife and daughter, but also to keep everything he has worked so hard for from being destroyed. Surrounded by enemies at every turn, Otto must gather all his resources to fight for his family's legacy or risk losing it all. Set in the lush landscape of Prussia in 1860, this historical novel goes deep into the heart of one family's struggle to maintain their heritage in the midst of turmoil.