Anna Hoyt is in the enviable position of owning and running her own tavern; in 1745 Boston, Massachusetts, women had to be granted the legal right to run a business alone. The Queen's Arms is located on the busy Boston waterfront and the thriving tavern's location makes Anna a target for the toughs who want her to sell the place to them. The tavern is Anna's only security, and she's stubbornly determined not to sell, despite the threats of her abusive husband and the thug he wants to impress. There's no one to turn to, no organized police force to protect her, and while the law may be on her side, a piece of paper won't stand in the way of dangerous men. Faced with the choice of a quick and brutal death or enduring misery in poverty, Anna takes matters into her own hands.