Young Scotsman, Duncan Penross, lands on the pioneering shores of the colony of Port Phillip in 1838. It is the dawn of the pastoral era in colonial Australia. Fuelled by a lust for women and fierce ambition in this rough man's world, he is determined to succeed, make a fortune and build an empire. To this fledgling colony Isabelle Waring courageously emigrates from northern England to also forge a new life and is employed by Duncan Penross as his housekeeper. With an eye to securing his dynasty, Duncan marries Isabelle to bear his sons. But his expectations do not develop as he planned. As his family grows, their lives and fates unfold with tragedy, struggles and always the hope of love. As secrets and lies unfold, can Isabelle stay loyal or will she seek happiness elsewhere? From cottage to bluestone mansion with its flamboyant peacocks on the lawn, this engrossing new Australian saga is filled with the lives and passions of a pioneering pastoral family in the nineteenth century.