Viking Princess Breanne of Stoneheim arrives unannounced at the Earl of Havenshire's castle to visit her sister. When she comes upon the earl beating her sister, Breanne kills him without a second thought. With no witness except her sister, Breanne dumps the earl's body into a privy. After initiating a rumor that the man ran away with his mistress, Breanne and her sister head for sanctuary until they can escape to Norway and find refuge with their father.

Caedmon of Larkspur heads to his small holdings tired of fighting for his corrupt king. He dreams of peace, drink and willing women. When he enters his fortress, Caedmon finds utter chaos. His 10 children are running wild and his castle is in shambles. Yelling that he will deal with the disasters tomorrow, Caedmon heads for drink and bed. He awakens the next morning with a screaming shrew yelling at his inept abilities to maintain his fortress.

Breanne and Caedmon snarl and spar, attempting to deny their attraction to each other. Caedmon believes it is lust. He has been married twice and has never encountered such feeling for a woman. Breanne tries to temper her tongue knowing they need to hide from the king as rumors swirl around the fate of the earl. When the king and his minions appear, fast talking and lots of lies are needed to prevent the truth from being exposed.

Sandra Hill's version of the Dixie Chick's "Goodbye Earl" is classic Hill. The dialogue flows back and forth and is hysterical. The characters are strong and the historical facts blend into humorous situations that will have readers doubling over in laughter.