One of the most common ways to acquire land in sixteenth-century Scotland was to abduct an heiress and force her to marry into one's family. That's why Molly Gordon, the Maid of Dunsithe, is stolen from her family's castle, believing her younger sister killed in the attack. Before she is abducted, her mother brands her and her sister with a molten hot family key so that no matter what comes to them in life they can prove their true identities and claim their rightful share of the Gordon fortune. Molly grows up as a pampered heiress in different foster homes depending on the politics of the time. She also receives guidance from a secret clan of wee folk who have befriended her. When she is moved to the household of Sir Finlay MacKenzie, a temperamental clan chieftain, she knows her life will change dramatically. Fin orders her around, tries to put her to work, and falls in love with her despite her hot temper. Once they marry, Fin insists on helping Molly locate the family she lost years ago.