Cornwall, 1793. With Adam still at sea and St John banished to America, Japhet Loveday has fled to London to forget the heartache of his love affair with Gwendolyn Druce. Cast adrift, he finds himself drawn into the dangerous world of the city's gambling dens and, when he runs out of money, turns to highway robbery to make a living. As his life spirals out of control he seeks comfort in a passionate affair with actress Celestine Yorke, but when Gwen herself arrives in London Celestine's ardour soon turns to obsessive jealousy and she vows to ruin Japhet. Meanwhile, Edward and Amelia's marriage is rocked by the arrival of his illegitimate daughter Tamasine, who has come to claim her place in the family. Can the Lovedays rise above the turmoil which seems set to destroy them?