Ellie lives a sheltered life under the guardianship of her Aunt Gertrude. Despite living with the shadow cast over her mother's respectability - commonly said to have run off with a French lover; deserting her only child - Gertrude has raised her niece alongside her own daughters, Esme and Cybil. However, when the handsome Mr Gerald Cookson returns to the old hall he reveals to Ellie the truth behind her past, and discovers a very different future for them both.