Celia Lytton broke the rules when she demanded a job in her husband Oliver's young and eager publishing company. This was the belle epoque of Edwardian England, when women were expected to look lovely and bear children but nothing more. With the help of her stern sister-in-law LM, Celia proved she could do that and more, becoming invaluable in the success of Lyttons. Now the company is safe and flourishing, and a new generation of Lyttons is growing up to inherit it. But the future they are also going to inherit looks dark. As the delightful glamour of the twenties passes away, fearful shadows of war begin to gather and threaten the happiness and very lives of the family. Strong-willed and stubborn, Celia Lytton has survived much in her time - now she must guide her family through the brooding danger of the thirties and the terror and spirit of wartime until peace is finally declared.