Scotsman, Duncan Penross, lands on the pioneering shores of the colony of Port Phillip in 1838, the dawn of its pastoral era. Driven by fierce ambition and a lust for women, he is determined to build an empire. Isabelle Waring emigrates from northern England to also forge a new life and is employed by Duncan Penross as his housekeeper. He marries her to bear his sons. As their family grows, their lives and fates unfold with tragedy, struggles yet always the hope of love. As secrets and lies emerge, can Isabelle stay loyal or will she find happiness elsewhere? From cottage to bluestone mansion with its flamboyant peacocks on the lawn, this engrossing Australian saga is filled with the lives and passions of a pioneering pastoral family in the nineteenth century.