In a house of secrets, a mother’s authority is threatened. Mary Hetherington was a mother who dominated her family. She was kind, efficient and generous, providing they did what she wanted. But when David brought home Sarah from the 'wrong end' of the Fifteen Streets, a girl who brought life and laughter into her dustless house, she soon took against her. Then when she discovered that Sarah was loved not just by David but by all her menfolk, Mary Hetherington realised that this 'interloper', if allowed to go unchecked, would become a challenge to her authority, while Sarah, for her part, found that even the best people had their quarrels, and secrets they were anxious to hide.