Grace is a kitchen-maid, but unlike her mother, Polly, she doesn't enjoy life inside the hous - she'd much rather be working out in the stables with the horses. Cricket teas and shooting-party luncheons will soon become a distant memory, however. It's 1914 and war is about to turn the country upside down. Tragedy comes to Swallowcliffe Hall, and life there changes more dramatically than anyone could ever have imagined.
Amid all the turmoil, Grace discovers a dark family secret that has been hidden for years. Learning the truth brings its own heartache, and now she faces a new challenge. Is she brave enough to step out of the shadow's and claim her rightful place in this dangerous new world?