2002, Australia. On his death bed, Melissa Boyd's father confesses a secret so disturbing that Melissa, armed with only a few tattered keepsakes, including an old postcard addressed to someone called Desmond, embarks on a journey that will take her into the past ... 1930s, London. Caroline has led a privileged life, supported by her Aunt Phoebe. But when her impulsive elopement to Cairo quickly turns sour, she finds herself alone with a newborn son. Then war breaks out and Caroline leaves her son Desmond, with Phoebe to begin a dangerous existence on the front lines. But when Caroline finally returns, Desmond has disappeared.