Hampshire, 1900. With the sudden death of her father, the life of fifteen-year-old Harriet Benson changes forever. Forced from her home to escape the advances of her leering stepbrother Norris, Harriet is sent into service to provide for the family. Arriving at the grand Dalton House, she meets the owners' crippled son Joseph, with whom friendship soon blossoms. When circumstances force Joseph to leave the family home, Harriet is happy to accompany him and break free from the controlling influence of her stepmother.

But Harriet is unprepared for the event which will alter her life even further: her unexpected inheritance of Greyladies, a supposedly haunted house in the country. Could this be the safe haven she so desperately needs, and does the ghost of its previous owner really roam the halls? While Harriet and Joseph grow ever closer, the plots and actions of both their families threaten to destroy their happiness. Will their love, and the legacy of Greyladies, be able to survive?