Following the life of the Gampton family, set on a country estate in Georgian England, the novel opens with the death of a servant who begs Henry Gampton, her master, to take care of her baby daughter, Angelina. Against his wife's wishes, Henry agrees and the child is raised alongside his own daughter, Sophia.
Unaware of Angelina's background, the girls become like sisters as they grow up.
However, Sophia's life is turned upside down by the death of first her mother and then her father.
Inexperienced in matters of the heart, Sophia turns to her father's stable manager for comfort as her world is threatened by the evil intent of her uncle who wishes to ensure that the Gampton estate does not fall into his niece's hands, nor those of the daughter of a mere servant.
Unable to trust those around her, Sophia decides to run away with Robert and face a life of poverty, yet full of love, rather than be forced into an arranged marriage.
However, her plan is thwarted when her fiancé: Charles Longford, finds Sophia about to depart with Robert in the cold early morning air. Unwilling to see his future disappear, Charles decides to take drastic action in order to stop them.