She is a young maidservant in the Wingate household. He is the firstborn son of the Wingates, born into nobility. Their stations in life are far apart, and so Gervase Howard conceals her feelings as her adolescent infatuation for Davis Wingate matures into a woman's love. But there is no denying the pain when Davis marries another. Driven by heartbreak, Gervase leaves the Wingate home to serve a remarkable woman by the name of Florence Nightingale. Working in the nightmare squalor of the Crimean War, Gervase brings care and hope to wounded soldiers. Overseas, her faith in God and sense of purpose deepen, preparing her for what lies ahead: a time when she and Davis will cross paths again, a time when his life will rest in her hands in the face of a danger that, unknown to Gervase, stalks them both.