1918. Young Lady Helen Barstairs, the dutiful daughter of Lord Hardingham, believes everything her mother and father tell her. So when her parents say she will never find a better husband than Richard - 'brave, handsome, wealthy, such a charming man and quite a catch' - she believes them, and agrees to marry him before his return to the Front. Helen hopes the letters they exchange will allow them to get to know one another but over time, Richard's correspondence becomes increasingly cold and distant, and Helen begins to wonder just who this man she has married really is. And that's when Oliver Donovan enters her life.Helen knew embarking on an affair was not a wise decision but, for the first time in her life, Helen knew what it felt like to be in love. With the war continuing on foreign shores, Oliver had to return to his regiment - and was never seen again. Learning she is with child, Helen confesses all to her shocked parents, who force her to give up her baby. She vows to find her child again one day. Over twenty years pass and it seems history is about to repeat itself; a new war has begun, and another young woman is about to lose her heart to a serviceman - Can lessons of the past save the heartache of a new generation?