Could bad dreams that have troubled Helen since her childhood be a sickness of the mind, or are they a remembrance of evil coming to her from a tragedy in the deep past? This question comes to the fore when James, an archaeologist, arrives to excavate the site of a Roman villa next to her home, and quickly becomes involved in a relationship with Helen. Meanwhile the site quickly yields discoveries that support James' own controversial theory that seeks to rewrite the early history of England. The discoveries unleash turmoil for the couple and those around them. A painful rift divides James and Helen. The story becomes a quest to establish the truth as revealed by these discoveries in the face of a stifling academic and cultural establishment. The couple discover that this quest will call for sometimes humiliating personal sacrifices.