With the Armistice only a few months past, times are hard for most people in the East End, and the Glover family with their cramped terraced house in Bow are no exception. But eighteen year old daughter Geraldine Glover, slim and pretty, daydreams of a glamorous West End existence - even though, as a machinist at Rubins clothing factory, her chances of living in the lap of luxury seem remote. Geraldine, who's choosy about boyfriends, used to go around with Alan Presley; but they drifted apart when he went into the Army. Then he had to get married in a hurry and now he's preoccupied with sorting out a divorce. However when she meets Tony Hanford, the young and handsome proprieter of a small jeweller's shop, her dream looks like coming true. His background is very different to hers and their marriage propels Geraldine into a new world - but it comes with a very heavy price attached. What's more, her newfound wealth threatens to cut her off from her family...