The young officer born from a higher class family to father, Frederick, and mother, Alicia, that finds himself lonely and isolated primarily by his controlling mother who seeks to shelter him from the world of those ‘lower’. However, despite this, he manages to form a tight bond with Jerry, a common boy, and the two find great joy over discussing their shared love of horses. 

His mother eventually catches on and makes him promise to never speak to him again, but the two are reunited come the eruption of WWI. The two station in France but their class differences birthe rank differences and, eventually, Alexander is forced to make the most traumatic decision in order to do right for his one true friend.