Rescued from the sea when just a child, Beatrice Salter has never known who her family is or where she truly belongs. Passed from family to workhouse, she finally finds a home and a place to feel accepted at the Mariner's Home for children. She finds an unlikely friend in Dr Pragnell, the kindly gentleman who rescued her when she was a child. Working in his household, Beatrice observes the love Augusta Pragnell showers on her two sons, Albert and Samuel and realises what she has missed. Meanwhile Augusta, learning to accept her husband and the life she has chosen, puts aside her 'fripperies' and learns things about herself that she never knew. As the Pragnell household comes ever closer together, Beatrice and Albert find themselves thrown together in a situation which can only cause heartbreak to those they love the most.