Orphan Emma Meredith is brought up by her grandmother. But after her nan's death, the poor child is passed from pillar to post by her three aunts. Eventually Emma finds work as a maid to a wealthy Cardiff family, but an errand she is forced to perform leads to her unfair dismissal. At the end of her tether, she takes a position as housekeeper to a widower with two young daughters, and she knows she has at last found a purpose in life. But there are many more knocks in store for Emma before she can find a home where she truly belongs.