Working-class woman Jane Andrews wants more for her life and is unlucky in love. On the brink of losing all hope, she receives a letter inviting her to interview for a job with Sarah, Duchess of York, at Buckingham Palace. Securing the job, she moves to London - but life in the palace is gruelling and Jane struggles to fit in, but she and Sarah find common ground in their experiences of love and betrayal. 

Reeling from her fall from grace, Jane attempts to build a new life, but her intense desire for the stability and status she lost causes her relationship with Thomas Cressman to fracture, plunging her into a desperate downward spiral.