In1800,the54thfootregimentoftheBritisharmywassenttoEgypt.OnreachingMalta,thesoldiers'wiveshadtoreturntoEngland.UnfortunatelythetwoshipscarryingthemwerecapturedbytheFrench.
WithtypicalGallicgallantry,theFrenchreturnedthewomentotheBritishbaseatMinorca,whereanIrishregimentwasgarrisoned.SoonnewsreachedMinorcathattheEgyptianexpeditionhadsufferedadisasterandmostofthemenofthe54thwerelost.Thewidows,seekingconsolation,nowmarriedmenoftheIrishgarrison.
Butfatehadnotfinishedwiththemyet.TheIrishsoldierswerelatersenttoEgyptthemselves,wheretheylearnedthatthe54thregiment'sexpeditionhadnotfoundered,norhadtheregimentceasedtoexist.Theerstwhile"widows"foundthemselveswithtwohusbands.Intheendjustoneoftheprevioushusbandstookbackhiswife.
一八○○年，英軍第五十四步兵團奉命赴埃及，來到馬爾他，士兵的妻子須返回英國，但載着她們的兩艘船卻不幸被法國人奪得。
法國人本着優禮女士的典型法蘭西精神，把船上婦女送還米諾卡島英軍基地。當地有一愛爾蘭兵團駐守。不久消息傳來，說埃及遠征隊遇難，五十四兵團死者過半。眾寡婦尋求慰藉，紛紛和愛爾蘭兵團士兵結為夫婦。
但命運之神還要播弄她們。那些愛爾蘭士兵後來也奉命赴埃及，到達後，獲悉五十四兵團沒有遇難，也沒有滅亡。那些一度「喪夫」的婦女，發覺自己有兩個丈夫。最後，只有一個前夫和妻子重圓破鏡。