Paula O'Neill has taken over her grandmother Emma Harte's elegant chain of department stores. Her ambition begins to override all other considerations when an opportunity to expand occurs.

The three generations of the Harte family are loyal, but their enemies want to tear them apart. Meet four remarkable women: India Standish is the traditionalist in the family who falls for an artist from a working-class background. American-born Evan Hughes, great-granddaughter of Emma, is trying to integrate into the Harte family. Evan's cousin, Tesse Longden, is battling for custody of her daughter Adele. And Linnet, the most brilliant businesswoman...