Hazel Woodus is a peculiar young girl living on the Welsh border at the turn of the century. Dominated by superstitions and lore which she reads from a book, she is devoted to her pet fox and to all the local creatures. One of the legends she reads says she must marry the first man who proposes. This turns out to be the mild mannered minister Marston and, fearing the legend, she agrees to marry him.

Hazel feels no true desire for her husband and cannot resist the advances of the rough-hewn squire Jack Reddin, as she allows herself to be seduced. However, Reddin's cruelty makes her return to her husband to try and re-build their failed marriage but fate has one more awful surprise in store for the reformed Hazel...