A Scottish knight in France to facilitate a marriage between a rich and beautiful countess and his aging uncle becomes involved in court intrigue.

In 1465, Quentin Durward travels to France to meet Isabelle, Countess of Marcroy, on behalf of his elderly Scottish uncle whom, for political reasons, the Duke of Burgundy intends she marry. A man of honor who may have sworn too many oaths, Durward finds he and Isabelle being used as pawns in a deadly game by the Duke and devious King Louis XI. One look at Isabelle has convinced Durward this is where he and his heart have to be.—Jeremy Perkins {J-26}

1465. Aged Lord Crawford of Scotland is contemplating marriage to Isabelle, the Countess of Marcroy, one of the richest women in Europe. On the continental side, the marriage has been arranged by Charles, the Duke of Burgundy, in wanting an alliance with Scotland in battles, especially with his cousin, King Louis XI of France. Poor, vain yet honorable Lord Crawford not only wants a beautiful young woman on his arm, but wants a source of steady income which she can provide. Only having second hand information as to Isabelle, Lord Crawford dispatches his faithful nephew, Quentin Durward, a knight, to Peronne in Burgundy to confirm that Isabelle is as beautiful and wealthy as he has been told, in turn Quentin to turn over a portrait of the Lord as a much younger man to the Duke and Isabelle to put the Lord in the best possible light. While Quentin, upon arrival in Peronne, does eventually discover the stories of Isabelle true, he will also indirectly learn that Isabelle does not want to be used as a pawn by the Duke, she not envisioning marriage, especially to an elderly man, as such an arrangement without love. As Isabelle tries to evade the marriage, Quentin, inadvertently gets caught up in the conflict between the Duke and King Louis. Beyond the presence of Quentin and his want to protect Isabelle, the conflict is affected by the intervention of a group of gypsies, one of them, Hayraddin, who considers himself the best spy, and of Count William de La Marck and his men, the Count who has his own self interests arguably aligning himself more on one side. Through it all, Quentin and Isabelle, who does not know anything about him beyond his name and being a Scot, fall in love. Quentin has to figure out how to deal with his love for her in light of his loyalty to his Uncle, which may be a moot point if he and Isabelle do not survive the ensuing conflicts.—Huggo