Living again in a humble shack, Ruby is determined to make a secure and happy home for her precious infant daughter, Pearl. Aided by the thoughtful gifts and warm encouragement of Paul Tate - her first love, whom she was forced to abandon - she ekes out a living selling her handicrafts. Paul has become a man of unbelievable wealth, and when he whisks her into his grand house, complete with servants, an inspiring artist's studio for Ruby, and a sparkling nursery for Pearl, it seems their future is assured. As mistress of Cypress Woods, Ruby can forget her horrid past, even the shocking reason she and Paul must wed in a secret ceremony and remain husband and wife in name alone.