In 1920s rural Ireland, Pearl Somers lives happily with her parents, her sisters Opal and Ruby, and her little brother Willie in the gate lodge of Kilnashone Castle, where her father is chauffeur to Lord and Lady Areton. But one dreadful night, a series of dramatic events unfold and the lives of all - elite and ordinary - are changed forever. Over 40 years later, Pearl has become a successful writer. Yet there is one story she has never told, until her young cousin Catherine confesses a secret of her own that opens a door to Pearl's past - one she thought had been firmly sealed forever. When Catherine discovers Pearl's story of heartbreak and yearning, she determines to do her best to reconcile past and present. But is it too late for Pearl to find her own happy ending?