World War I ended well for the Franklins, prosperous Clydeside shipbuilders. But trouble is brewing behind their respectable facade. Lindsay Franklin McCulloch's brother-in-law has brought his rebellious teenage daughter Maeve from Ireland to stay with the Franklins. Maeve's mother caused nothing but grief and heartache for Lindsay and it seems that Maeve may do the same. Lindsay's husband, Forbes, is struggling to modernise the shipyard in spite of resistance from the rest of the family. But he is swept off his feet by wealthy and manipulative Stella Pickering who may, or may not, hold the key to his future. Meanwhile, Lindsay is torn between love and loyalty when handsome navy hero Lieutenant-Commander Geoffrey Paget unexpectedly walks back into her life to rekindle old flames and offer her a second chance at happiness. As the slump of the 1920s begins to bite on Clydeside, troubles both financial and personal invade all their lives. Once again Jessica Stirling has evoked a whole world at the moment when - for better or worse - it is about to change forever.