A mute young woman, Patience, from an isolated community in rural England in 1555, struggles with her controlling brother-in-law and leader, David, who is gradually unravelling after the failure of his idyllic community. The Egyptian Act has been passed, stipulating that all 'gypsies' must vacate England immediately and anyone found aiding them could be executed. In exchange for a fee, David agrees to help an Egyptian family who must stay a month on their land until a ship comes to take them away. The others in the community tolerate this decision, hoping it could lead them to a more prosperous life. But when Patience pursues an affair with one of the outsiders, she is thrust into a violent and vicious psychological battle with David, who sees her actions as a direct rebellion, and a threat to the power he desperately wants to maintain over the community.