It's the time of the Tolpuddle trial and unrest. The Dorset labourers work under terrible conditions for starvation wages. When her mother and stepfather perish in a fire, an illegitimate peasant girl, Siana Lewis, is left destitute, with a young brother and baby sister to support. Securing a job with the local rector, Siana, with her wit and beauty, will attract the attention of three men. Daniel Ayres - a young man with high hopes and very little else - is her first love, who cruelly betrays her. Francis Matheson, the local doctor, admires Siana's determination and thirst for knowledge. The pair establish a relaxed friendship. Then there's the local squire, Edward Forbes. A sensual and devious man, Edward is used to going after what he wants. He desires the beautiful peasant girl at first sight of her - and will stop at nothing to get her.

Now a wealthy young widow, former peasant girl Siana Forbes has overcome her humble beginnings to become mistress of Cheverton Manor, the handsome estate which her infant son Ashley will one day inherit. She is at last beginning to recover from her grief at the death of her husband, the powerful and sensual squire, Edward Forbes, and when the man she truly loves, village doctor Francis Matheson, asks for her hand in marriage, it seems as though Siana can dare to be happy again. But it cannot last. The death of his brother means that Francis must undertake a perilous voyage to Van Dieman's Lane off the coast of Australia - a land where danger and hardship await. Left to raise a growing family, Siana faces trouble on the home front too, when a sinister figure from her past re-emerges, determined to cause havoc. And a terrible ordeal suffered by Siana's stepdaughter, Maryse, on the night of the harvest supper means that Siana is faced with a heartbreaking choice. Will she be able to overcome the odds stacked against her, keep her troubled family together - and can she dare to hope that her beloved Francis will ever return to her?

Following his return from his ill-fated trip to Australia, Francis and Siana Matheson have settled into a loving marital relationship. Siana's main concern is that so far she has been unable to bear her husband another child. Francis however is content to be a father to his grown-up daughters and Siana's young sister Daisy. He also delights in his young son, Bryn, born while he was overseas. However, Francis is unaware that the boy is his illegitimate grandson, the result of the vicious and horrifying rape of his eldest daughter. Although it worries Siana, the need to protect all concerned has left her with no choice. She must keep quiet and live with the guilt of her deceit. But Siana cannot keep the truth hidden forever - and when her tragic secret is finally revealed, there will be devastating and far-reaching consequences.