Set against the turbulent backdrop of Forties London, four young people are inextricably linked by their wartime experiences. The drama opens in 1947 as Britain is trying to rebuild itself after the war. Kay is roaming the streets, haunted by a traumatic personal loss. Helen and Viv run a marriage bureau, helping people rebuild their shattered lives by finding love. Helen obsessively clings to her volatile relationship with Julia while Viv is continuing an affair with a married man whom she seems unable to leave. Elsewhere Viv's vulnerable young brother Duncan harbours a terrible secret.