Widowhood releases Henrietta from her unhappy marriage and allows her to marry Jerome Compton, although his divorce means the couple must live away from Yorkshire society. In London, Henrietta and her daughter Lizzie thrive among artists, scientists and unconventional friends. She renews her relationship with Lady Venetia, now a qualified doctor and finally married to ‘Beauty’ Haselmere.
Both households appear secure as children are born and invitations to Sandringham and Hatfield restore their social standing. Yet a new scandal forces one woman out of the world she has re-entered. What looks like exile becomes a different kind of homecoming, as the Morlands discover that belonging may depend less upon formal respectability than upon the communities they create for themselves.
