Alexander Montgomery has returned home prompted by his sisters distressed letters and bringing his new found Russian friend Nickolas Ivanovitch who is cousin to the Tzarina of all the Russias.
He's been trussed up in rediculous clothes of Nicks brother in law, and appears to be drunk to the town, he recieves a less than honorable introduction and welcome from his least favorite pain in the neck. Jessica Taggert whom he had long ago played a trick on and made an enemy for life.
She believes him to be a complete failure as a man and ridicules him infront of nearly the entire town.
Alex leaves his disguise on to see his new brother-in-law and get a good idea of what is going on from a
hidden point of view and begins to use this new identity to find a basis for some sort of control any that he can find. As he sees more and more symptoms of tyranny he is enraged and reallizes that his father is completely unable to do any thing for the good people of Warbrooke his family's dear town. And so is born The Raider one night in a conversation with Nick and soon Alex is so entangled with these two roles both so necessary for each others success as well as the success he seems determined to find with his old nemesis Jess. Determined to conquer her he finds himself so enraged by her dismissal and retorts of him that he humiliates her completely but soon the Raider wins her over with his debonaire courage and he also seems to feel a spell cast over him as well. But Alex wants to be loved for him self and tries as the fat him to win Jess's heart.
All the while the british are bullying the good towns people and Jess becomes outraged and tries to do her part but finds her self no equal for the tyrants of the King. Alex bails her out more than once all to find himself unappreciated by his benefactor of the cause. Will Jess ever see the real him and understand that complexity that is truly both men in one?
When she finds her self forced into marraige by the Admiral she is enraged at such bullying and still finds herself in a bind when the Raider refuses to marry her then she finally turns to Alex as he has completely accepted the great numbered brood that are her siblings, Alex wonders if their marraige will survive the raider.
