On the run from Napoleon's Grand Army, commanding a pathetic column of wounded men, Major Lev Orlov, has the misfortune to discover the Countess Irina Barova sheltering in a deserted inn. The fate of one woman, however helpless, is trivial compared to the Major's need to outpace Napoleon and reach the safety of Kaluga with his men. Yet how can he abandon the gentle Irina? When he reluctantly offers her his protection, he realises that he has taken a step that will alter the rest of his life - unless the French cut it short.