Lucy and her younger sister, Eva, are shocked by the events that follow their father's death. The family are left devastated when a woman arrives on their doorstep claiming to be Joseph's legitimate wife - and therefore the sole beneficiary of his will. They discover their father deserted Mary Chambers twenty years ago and married their mother Sylvia bigamously. Mary blames Sylvia for her failed relationship and casts them aside, claiming all of Joseph Chandler's money and leaving them homeless.After their eviction, and desperate for financial survival, Sylvia borrows money from an unscrupulous moneylender Stan Naylor. His rates are high and she soon falls behind with the repayments. He offers them a solution, a way to clear their debts, but his offer bears a price far higher than they are willing to pay.