Plucky Lucy Linden supports her widowed mother and younger brother, selling firewood and toffee apples on the streets of Liverpool.Her uncanny ability to be in the right place at the wrong time gets her noticed by a young policeman, Rob Jones. At first he is amused by her exploits, but upon learning how tough life is for Lucy, he decides to keep a watchful eye on her - much to her annoyance. When Lucy's bad-tempered uncle, with a tendency to lash out, returns from the war with some alarming connections to the IRA, her attitude to Rob changes dramatically.