Thomas, son of a village blacksmith in 18th century England, relates how he fell in love with Lucy, an outstanding beauty and daughter of a wealthy family with societal ambitions. Their distaste for Thomas's humble background and their callous marriage plans for Lucy frustrate the young lovers' passions as they come of age and resist the parental business objectives of marriage. Dark clouds form when Thomas and Lucy's struggle for freedom reaches a climax. The Bramdean setting may remind readers of Jane Austen's works.