Nuneaton, 1935. Kathy has grown up at Treetops home for children, where Sunday and Tom Branning have always cared for her as one of their own. She enjoys her life there, surrounded by her beloved horses, and with a future as a nurse ahead of her. Her foster sister Livvy is not as driven as Kathy. Sunday is keen to see both her girls married, but Livvy has no intention of settling down, and would much rather spend time with her friends. Meanwhile, Kathy falls for the wrong man, and her ambitions are soon forgotten as she embarks on a secret affair. When a tragic accident occurs, the running of the estate falls into chaos. The women of Treetops think that things can't get any worse. But then it is announced that the country is at war once more...