'Dawn' is a romance novel about a young man's dilemma in love. The Caresfoot family had been the owners of the prestigious Bratham Abbey ever since a long gone ancestor had bought it from an English knight generations before. Now it is in the hand of aging 'Devil Caresfoot' who is eager for his son Philip to take it up when he dies. But his only brother's son George, also under his charge, sometimes seems to be a better choice of heir courtesy of his schemes to paint Philip in bad light. Matters come to a head as a result of Philip's choice of marriage partner and the resulting scandal may yet prove to be his undoing and might cost him his inheritance.