A gripping and dramatic novel based on real-life events. In 1872 a beautiful young woman, Victoria Kilburn, arrives in a village in the north-east to recuperate from flu in the home of her doctor uncle. Soon Victoria has befriended many in the village, including Marian Cotton, a warm and lively woman expecting a baby which she hopes will, unlike her previous infants, survive to adulthood. When Marian's husband and stepson die, Marian is charged with their murder, and Victoria finds herself alone in defending her. If Marian is to hang, who will care for her baby? And can Victoria herself give her heart to a man who wants her to choose between her friend and herself?