Judith Perle, the recently-widowed wife of a rich merchant becomes the object of interest for the men of Shrewsbury. She gives her house to the abbey, in exchange for the nominal rent of one rose annually from the rose bush in its garden. But then one of Cadfael's associates, Brother Eluric, is murdered, after he is assigned the duty of picking and delivering the rose. And then one of her suitors is also murdered.