Mary and Jonty have battled against the odds to be together. Forced to run away when Mary's father disapproved of their relationship, they've managed to build a life for themselves. And their happiness would be complete if they were blessed with a child. Tragically, it seems that's not to be. Then one night a yacht is shipwrecked near their home. Mary and Jonty rush to the rescue and, amid terrible carnage, they save a baby. Although they know it is wrong, they keep the child. Despite feeling guilty they cherish the little girl they name Charlotte. Charlotte grows up to be an attractie woman, devoted to her parents. But fate is to intervene when she decides to train as a nurse in Liverpool. For Liverpool is where her 'real' family lives: and it seems that secrets and lies are to be uncovered - with shocking consequences.