When the brutal English Civil War finally came to an end in the mid-17th Century, the weary Cavaliers and Roundheads put away their weapons and tried to get back to normal life. Fanny Lye (Maxine Peake) transcends her oppressive marriage to discover a new world of possibilities, but at a great personal cost. Living a life of Puritan stricture with her husband John (Charles Dance) and young son, Fanny's world is shaken to its core by the unexpected arrival of a young couple, closely pursued by a ruthless sheriff and his deputy.