BBC adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's unfinished novel. The decision of long-time widower Mr Gibson (Bill Paterson) to remarry has several repercussions for his daughter, Molly (Justine Waddell), who resents the arrival of her stepmother (Francesca Annis). However, Molly also acquires a stepsister, Cynthia (Keeley Hawes), with whom she soon forms a close bond. Their relationship is later put to the test, however, when they both set their sights on the same man.