Set in the 1600's during the time of the plague and the Great fire of London, this is the story of a young maiden lured to London by a sailor named Frank. He is a cruel man and takes immense pleasure in physically and emotionally abusing her.When he returns to sea, he leaves her destitute and she has to scour the streets of London looking for work. Thankfully, she finds work in a Bakehouse in Pudding Lane, working for Mr Farynor. As time goes on, poverty, neglect and the filth of the city takes its toll on Mary, and when things get too hard, she returns to her father's farm in Kent, only to find, that her father has gone bankrupt. Seeing that her father has nowhere to go, she is forced to take him back to London with her. Back to Frank!As a punishment, Frank thinks up new ways of humiliating her.Her only comfort comes in the form of Ashton, a gentleman who lives in the 'Newington house.

' He is the only one who has a kind word for her.Despite the humiliation she goes through on a regular basis, Mary still dreams of going home.However, before she can achieve her goal, there are numerous obstacles in her way. Can she survive the scourge of the Plague and the Great Fire of London? Will she be able to escape from Frank? Will Ashton follow his heart when faced with the threat of being disinherited? Or will a chance meeting with Richard, a man of substance, give her the means to make her dreams come true,More importantly, will Mary be able to recognise the window of opportunity when it opens up for her?.