Midwife Lucie Smith had expected to live a retired life of quiet contemplation, somewhere with a small garden to tend and room for a few hens. However, 1666 sees her with no option but to keep serving remedies in her late husband's shop at the sign of the Three Doves, since no new apothecary can be found for the town of Tupingham.

Not only that, but Lucie's house gradually refills with people in need of shelter and care. Her son Simon comes home, seeking refuge from the Great Fire of London. Teenaged twins have been abandoned by their family following a solemn discovery in an outside privy. And refugees from the fire have started to flood into the town.

Amidst all this, Lucie is confronted with painful memories of her unresolved losses from years gone by. In a vulnerable state, she succumbs to a winter sickness which almost kills her. With two men vying for her hand in marriage, and Simon attempting to steer her in a new direction, she must decide which path she should take and whose intentions she can trust. One thing is certain, Lucie will be the one to determine her own course.