Village girl Linda Bellwood has always been in awe of the glamorous Hylton family. So when they hire her as companion to the grandmother, she's thrilled. However, when her friendship with the youngest son Florian blossoms into something more, the rest of the family are not so welcoming.

Disowned and thrown out, Linda and Florian escape to the city and struggle to keep afloat in the depths of bohemian London. With Florian squandering their money on his far-fetched dreams of becoming a writer, their relationship begins to unravel.

But then war is declared and their troubles seem to pale in comparison with the challenges ahead...