Patricia Dillian can see only romance and opportunity when she agrees to work for Mark Justin, taking care of his aging and sick mother, Edith. During this time she nurses a forlorn love for Mark and is courted by Nathan, an attorney and close family friend of the Justins. When Edith's illness becomes serious and even fatal Patricia see's a darker side of life as she navigates prejudice, secrecy and even deception. She must find her way out of her precarious and difficult situation while navigating the mores of an unknown social world.