Lizzie Miller worries for her family - money is short in their little house, but her beautiful daughter Ruby vows to give them all a better life.

Working as a maid for Mr Banks, Ruby befriends his shy and gentle daughter, Cicely. The two girls hatch a mischievous plan to introduce Ruby to society at a party for the 'gentry' of Blackburn, where Ruby meets Luke Arnold, the dissolute heir to his father's fortunes.

But Ruby soon learns of Luke's cruel nature and when he slyly turns his charm on Cicely, Ruby feels compelled to warn her, a warning that will put her livelihood and her future on the line ...