From childhood Dorothy has devoted her young life to achieving her ambition of entering into the newly formed profession of nursing, despite fierce resistance from her family. Influenced by the 'cures' of Hettie, her local healer friend; the tragedy of Ben and his family, and the tales of her Aunt Annie who nursed in the Crimea, she achieves this ambition; she becomes a London nurse. With this commitment comes a requirement. That requirement means forgoing marriage and therefore romantic male relationships. But not everyone understands this. Then another's 'moment of madness' shatters her world and challenges her oath to, 'devote herself to the welfare of all those committed to her care