Ortiza Tarabal is the most beautiful ingenue in Alta California, and her father is its wealthiest landowner. He has sent to Spain for a suitable bridegroom for his daughter, and in response Francisco Valdez has arrived in the Bay of Monterey on the Fortune. But he is not alone. Also on board is Louis Mortier, a former colonel in Napoleon's Grand Army, who has come to Monterey to acquire land from a former French Revolutionist. Once these two men step off the ship and set foot on California soil, they will set off a tale of alliance, misalliance, adventure and romance. And the excitement will come to a head. . .