The third saga of life in Victorian Portsmouth is the story of a girl who
is rescued from the sea when just a child. Beatrice Salter has never
known who her family is or where she truly belongs. Passed from family
to workhouse, she finally finds a home and a place to feel accepted at
the Mariner's Home for Children.
She finds an unlikely friend in Dr Pragnell, the kindly gentleman who
rescued her when she was a child. Working in his household, Beatrice
observes the love Augusta Pragnell showers on her two sons, Albert
and Samuel and realises what she has missed.
Meanwhile Augusta, learning to accept her husband and the life she
has chosen, puts aside her 'fripperies' and learns things about herself
that she never knew. As the Pragnell household comes ever closer
together, Beatrice and Albert find themselves thrown together in a situation
which can only cause heartbreak to those they love the most.