On her deathbed, Lucy Fallow's mother makes her promise to look after her younger siblings and keep house for her father and older brothers. When the Fallow menfolk lose their jobs, it's not long before they are working on the wrong side of the law. Lucy begins to form a relationship with Jacob McKenzie and know that they will marry. However, as their love grows so does the resentment from Jacob'ss older brother Tom. What follows is a chain of heart-breaking events where Jacob and Lucy are torn from each other's arms.