Gwynna had fallen from grace once, bearing a stillborn child out of wedlock. Determined to have a respectable future, she finds a position for herself as a nursemaid at Hungerton House.

But just as she begins to find her feet, the secrets of her past are revealed. She is swiftly dismissed but not before she becomes the target of a lascivious groom. And even afterwards she is pursued by Hungerton, an evil old man who wishes to send her back to the gutters.

She returns home to Hedderby, only to find the small Lancashire town reeling after the arson attack on the local pub and music hall, The Pride. Her only ally is a talented carpenter, also once employed by Hungerton. His former employer will stop at nothing, however, to bring him back to the estate. Will money buy revenge and destroy two lives, or will the young lovers find a way to achieve their dreams?