The laughter of summer lawn parties fades for the men and women of Summerset Abbey, as the rumble of cannon fire sweeps across Europe. Rowena Buxton meets a man from her past whose return throws her comfortable future with Sebastian into jeopardy. Victoria Buxton throws caution to the wind and joins the war effort as a volunteer nurse. And Prudence Tate goes to desperate lengths to protect her new husband after he enlists.

After Prudence’s desperate marriage and move to Devonshire, sisters Rowena and Victoria fear they have lost their beloved friend forever. Guilt-ridden and remorseful, Rowena seeks comfort from a daring flyboy and embraces the most dangerous activity the world has ever seen. Victoria, meanwhile, defies her family and her illness to make her own dream occupation as a botanist come true.

Rowena and Victoria, daughters to the second son of the Earl of Summerset, have always treated their governess’s daughter, Prudence, like a sister. But when their father dies and they move in with their uncle’s family in a much more traditional household, Prudence is relegated to the maids’ quarters, much to the girls’ shock and dismay. The ever-present specter of class expectations makes it difficult for Prudence to maintain a foot in both worlds.