In Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, the pilgrims narrate tales during the days of their journeys to Canterbury, while in this brilliant series, each pilgrim entertains the company at night with a tale of murder or mystery. As Chaucer's pilgrims take shelter for the night around a roaring fire in a friary, The Franklin narrates a mysterious, bloody story set in 1356 with the victory of the Black Prince at Poitiers. During the fight, a young squire, Richard Greenele, lies dying and reveals to his knight, Gilbert Savage, information leading to the discovery of his true parentage and the dreadful secrets surrounding his father's disgraceful death. As the truth evolves into a heinous tale of duplicity and murder, and a search for the lawyer, Hugo Coticol, who holds a sealed letter containing the facts, Gilbert is compelled to avenge his father's death.