When Lydia celebrates her coming of age, the whole of her Exmoor village celebrates with her. Two men attract her interest that night: handsome, ambitious Gus Pascoe, who covets the land her father farms; and Wesley Peters, brought up as a strict Methodist, whose seemingly upright religious family hides a terrible secret.

Wesley wants only to protect and cherish Lydia, but when his sister becomes the scandal of the neighbourhood and is forced to marry Lydia's brother, Alan, a bitterness grows between the two families which threatens to keep Lydia and Wesley apart forever. In despair Lydia flees to Bristol.

Will she be able to free herself from the tragedy and heartbreak of her past life?