Talented carpenter Robert Bradley leaves the shipyards for a job in his uncle's furniture business. He soon discovers that his new life in the countryside is not quite the idyll he imagined. Finding himself at odds with his god-fearing uncle, Robert leaves the household and finds work as a servant for the Thormans', a family moving rapidly towards self-destruction. There he falls for the charms of Sarah, the young aristocratic lady of the household. She is intrigued by Robert. This however is 1913 when servants are expected to know their place and crossing the line could have devastating consequences.