This work of historical fiction is based on the challenges faced by John A. Macdonald just before Confederation in 1867. His colleagues at the London Conference are not unanimously supportive. He is the target of Fenian assassins, and the impending U.S. purchase of Alaska makes the colony of British Columbia vulnerable.

Secret deals, romance, and international intrigue all figure in this rousing tale of historical speculation focused on Sir John A. Macdonald and set on the eve of Canada's birth in both London, England, and Highclere Castle, now widely known as the real-life location for the popular television series Downton Abbey.