Beatrice Rossall, the daughter of an elderly vicar, is faced with a bleak future when her father dies, leaving not only Bea without a home but also Daisy, a four-month-old orphan left in her care. A local mill owner offers her the position of his housekeeper, but Bea is appalled by the conditions he imposes. Affronted by her rejection of his offer, he makes sure no one else in the area will employ her leaving Bea no option but to try and find Daisy's father in the hope that he will accept his responsibilities. But Mr Dearden, the man named by Daisy's mother as her seducer, denies all knowledge of the affair. With no money and nowhere to go, Bea is in a predicament until fate steps in and offers her a way out.
