An American by birth, Erica Sinclair has barely found her feet after a trying first year in England, but believes she is finally fitting in. She awakes one morning, happy to be in love and full of expectation for her first real writing assignment for the London magazine for which she works. Within hours, her world has crumbled, and she finds herself the unwanted guest at Cairnview, the country home of a one-hundred-year old woman in Stirling, Scotland. Friendless and far from home, Erica is painfully aware that the woman's grandson from Newcastle is there for the express purpose of getting her removed from the house, and that's before even meeting Lottie Hill, the redoubtable centenarian. Exhausted and ill and believing herself very much alone, Erica disconnects for a few days, not knowing that all is not completely lost. She has yet to learn that true friends can be found in new friends and that there is much perspective to be gained by hearing the life story of one, who has not only survived almost everyone she has ever loved, but also two of the darkest periods in the history of the world. Lottie Hill has a story to tell.

The House of Gregory in the Scottish Highlands was built by the ancient family Grioghar. Generations have come and gone, leaving only their imprint on the stone edifice that stands as a memorial to them. It remains protected as a refuge for descendants of the family and a testimony that some things can last forever. Twenty-six-year-old Tia Randall is penniless and friendless in New York City after a very public fraud trial finds her husband guilty on many counts. Having no support from her parents, who have fled the country to escape her shameful ordeal, Tia finds a temporary retreat in the home of old friends. There, she stands nervously at a crossroads, not knowing where to turn until her long-lost uncle invites her to Scotland to help him restore the ancient House of Gregory. Although she finds the conditions there austere and damp, her reception by the elderly residents is warm and welcoming. Ever more aware of the centuries of human history that have transpired within the walls of her new home, Tia finds purpose and, for the first time in her life, experiences unconditional love and the freedom to pursue the desires of her own heart.

The consequences of some mistakes can be far-reaching, as Kenna Jones has learned so vividly from her teen pregnancy and rushed marriage more than six years ago. When her immature husband left her with an infant, Kenna had to make it on her own. Her parents, unforgiving of the embarrassment she'd caused them, refused her much-needed support at her lowest point. Kenna determinedly rose to the challenge and put herself through nursing school, gaining confidence with each success. The House of Gregory, a great stone house in the Scottish Highlands, is an unlikely place for Kenna to find the acceptance and security she’s craved, but both are offered freely by the present residents, as well as the ancients, who have presided over the house for centuries. Providing care for her elderly patient there, romance is far from Kenna's mind until the night she meets Blake Buchanan. Her heart is not her own from that moment on, although he brings problems with him that are too big for her to fix. Little does she know that she has allies, seen and unseen, who are determined that she will have her day.

Generations of Gregorys have made Tigh Grioghar their home, and although the attics are in ruins, some of ‘the help’ linger still, treading a wooden staircase that no longer exists. The ancient stone house in the Scottish Highlands sits immovable on the steep bank of the River Nairn, where it still provides safe haven to descendants of the first laird. Every effort is being made to make the house self-sustaining and to rebuild the footbridge that was destroyed in 1746. Tia is recently engaged to Kyle, and although they are steadfast in their determination to marry soon, setting a date is delayed amidst the house renovations and his family’s pressing struggles. Although Tia tries desperately to be patient, a powerful biological force is working within her, and her longing for a child grows with each passing day. While her deepest yearnings go unfulfilled, she carries her share of the load and awaits the completion of the work, joining in the mounting anticipation felt among the residents of the house from both sides of the mortal veil.