Susannah had met Fernando Cuevas in London, and in a whirlwind romance had fallen wildly and irrevocably in love with him. She could hardly believe it when Fernando, on what seemed to be an unconvincing excuse, ended it all, and disappeared out of her life as quickly as he had come into it.

The only thing to do, Susannah decided, was to make a new life for herself, so she took a job as governess to a young Spanish girl which would take her to live in Spain for a while. She was horrified, on arriving at her destination, to realise that the child was Fernando's daughter; that he was very much married; and that she was going to meet him again at any moment. What was she to do now?