A thirst for
education
.
Shattered dreams
Fragile relations
1840s Scotland
Being sent to
school
in the small town of Milnathort, in Kinross Shire, is the most exhilarating thing that's ever happened to young Margaret Law. She sharpens her
newly-acquired education
on her
best friend
, Jessie Morison, till Jessie becomes an orphan and is spirited away to become a
scullery maid
Letters,
whether poorly or well-written, are a
lifeline.
They keep the girls in touch and maintain their
friendship bond
When Margaret's parents'
tailoring and drapery
business suddenly collapses her
visions of becoming a schoolteacher
are shattered. She must find a job.
Salvation from domestic drudgery
- or
never-ending seamstress work
- comes via her
loyal, almost-sister
Jessie whose employer seeks a
tutor
for his disabled daughter. The
once-a-month half-day-off
exploring
the exciting city of Edinburgh
with Jessie is great fun, but the increasing
volatility of her employer's wife,
and other
tension in the household,
claws at Margaret's
nerves
Growing up, Margaret finds, comes with many
heartaches
. She worries about her
parents' estrangement
, and the
mystery of Jessie's unknown father
. Margaret's natural
caution
over what makes a
strong loving relationship
between a couple gets in the way of a
developing, fledgling romance.
Victorian morality
is instilled in her but she finds, to her utter surprise, that not all adults play the
'values'
game that they
preach
! And a life of
piety
might not mean a
clean conscience
When
tragedy
befalls the household in Edinburgh, the
stability
of Margaret's
employment situation
crumbles. Shouldering a heavy burden of
loss
she must
forge a new pathway for the future
- though
where
will that be and doing what?