'The hatred between the sisters had a very long history; almost as long as their devotion.' With the death of Rose, painful memories are awakened for her younger sister Ella, forcing her to confront the tragic consequences of their family's guilt, its penchant for martyrdom and denial of romantic love. As Ella guides her niece through love, the past begins to repeat itself. This story of the daughters of an upper class Victorian family at the beginning of the twentieth century, stands as an important examination of the changing attitudes of women to sex and romantic love.