William and Henry are cousins, sons of identical twin brothers, and members of two well known Boston Brahmin families. They've roomed together through prep school, Harvard, and Harvard Law, and dated some of Boston's most eligible young women.
Instead of taking a grand tour of Europe, they opt to go backpacking around the US, and are taken prisoner and sexually assaulted in a small southern city. The assaults make them realize how they've always felt about each other, but first, they have to escape.
After their escape they plan and execute an elaborate trap and ultimately catch their attackers red handed. After their attackers are tried and convicted, they settle down to practice law together on Beacon Hill.