After a war injury, Andre Talouse reunites with his estranged father, whose unorthodox tastes leaves him battling his own inner demons. When Hope, the daughter of a neighboring plantation owner and widow of a rebel soldier, pays Talouse plantation a visit, Andre cannot resist pursuing her. As she grows to know Andre, she finds that, like all men, he has weaknesses. One is Ruby, whose beauty is unmatched by the rose garden she tends to at Talouse. With the war over and Reconstruction begun, all of Montclair parish struggles to make new lives for themselves. Slaves are now servants. Masters are now employers. Negros are supposed to be free. Does that include free to love anyone who captures their heart? Southern customs are important but Hope Wakefield is tired of grieving. But really… is the red dress too suggestive?
