For Sarah Hawke, daughter of an impoverished miner, life offered little beyond the grime of Glasgow in the 1890s and the eternal drudgery of back-breaking work. Until a mysterious stranger entered her life. A stranger who turned out to be her real father - and the owner of a vast and prosperous shipping empire. Catapulted into a world of luxury, of servants and stately homes, Sarah begins a new and glittering life. As sole heiress to a fortune, she has much to gain - and everything to lose. For she takes over the business, and with it the risks and rivalry, deceit and intrigue - and the prospect of undying love... From Scotland to Paris, from Jamaica to South Africa, Sarah charms - and fights - her way to success against all odds. For she is dealing in a man's world, where the only way to succeed is to be a most determined woman.