Eighteen-year-old Scottish actor Alec Douglas arrives at Dartwick Repertory in the summer of 1938. Young, talented, and inexperienced at life, he finds a home among the cast and crew of the old theatre, and through hard work, under the guidance of mercurial director Robin Barton, soon graduates to lead roles, sparking a spirited, at times intense rivalry with the troupe's star actor, Danny Tryon. When a pretty Irish newcomer, Barbara Scanlon, joins the Rep, she soon charms and beguiles the all-too-willing young Scot. Showing him a mesmerising, unorthodox 'gipsy' approach to life, he is soon deeply in love, at the same time sensing there is something she is holding back, keeping secret. Misreading and misunderstanding her elusiveness, Alec presses too hard, losing her even as England is forced into war. Enlisting, Alec sees action in France, Barton unexpectedly stepping back into his life during the chaos at Dunkirk. Now heading a Special Operations Unit, Barton dragoons Alec into helping track a deadly gang of terrorists unleashing killing raids throughout England, the Nazi-backed murderers led by his old rival, Danny Tryon. Worse, Barbara has been proven an active participant in the group. Stumbling into a chance encounter with her, propelled together into a treacherous race just ahead of both factions now hunting them, Alec is left searching desperately for answers in the eyes of the woman he still loves but can never be sure of.
