The Lockhart brothers' quest for an ancient family heirloom has proved fruitless, and an unpaid debt has left them indebted to their rival, Payton Douglas. With no recourse, the Lockharts offer Payton their most valuable commodity: their sister Mared's hand in marriage. Raised to despise the Douglas name, Mared outwardly agress to the marital bargain; secretly, she concocts a plan to ensure Payton will not wish to marry her.