When orphaned Kathleen O'Connor receives an unexpected legacy from an aunt in Ireland, she fights against a working class background and sexual discrimination to achieve her dream of becoming a barrister. It is expected that she and Desmond Marshall, a special-needs teacher, will eventually marry, but her loyalties to her career and the young man who shared her wartime childhood are to be tested. While defending photographer Paul West on a rape charge, Kathleen finds herself increasingly attracted to him and his glamorous lifestyle. Now Kathleen must face a trauma that seems destined to change her life forever.