Olivia is a servant girl at the House. Her world is turned upside down when her duties suddenly move from housekeeping to assisting the wounded soldiers and nurses at the newly established makeshift hospital in the House.

Until she meets Gordon, Olivia has never even met anyone from outside the village. Gordon’s stories of life in Scotland are almost like fables from a fairytale to Olivia – as are his stories of bravery and anguish from the frontline.

Olivia and Gordon fall madly in love, but Olivia knows that this would be seriously frowned upon by the stern, rule-obsessed Matron and so they have to express their love through secret coded messages that no one else can read.