Elizabeth Laughten married William Smith after a very short courtship. She was of Irish peasant stock and the daughter of a country physician. She had no idea what kind of a life she would be entering. Becoming the lady of the manor was beyond her wildest dreams. She and William wanted children but she seemed to be barren. After helping Kate Mitchem give birth to a large, beautiful son, she envied and coveted the child. It was near the end of the nineteenth century and Ireland was still under the thumb of the English. William was a forward-thinking man and he worked with his people. The death of a young maid was devastating to the grown Thomas. Thomas was in love with a young maid named Molly Hill, but she died from the dread disease diabetes. The young girl hired to replace her brought about mystery and romance. Thomas Mitchem and his family would become the most important people in Elizabethas long life. And after William died she would find love again.