"No stars so bright as the lights of home," Neil Drummond thought as he returned from America to his family residence in Scotland. But he hadn't bargained for all the changes, especially the presence of Cathy Paton. Like it or not, he couldn't get Cathy out of his mind, even though his upper-class family, headed by his strong-willed grandmother, was opposed to the girl because of a long-standing family feud.

The relationship seemed doomed from the beginning, especially when Celia Carr, Neil's former fiance, tries to use his family to recapture Neil's affections. Only when Cathy resolves to abandon the relationship does Neil realize the need for direct action, action that must either unite the lovers, or result in alienation from the people and homes they love.