Emily Ryan has gone up in the world since her arrival in Sheffield. She had found work as a buffer girl polishing cutlery for the city's famous trade and with the help of a friend, Nell, Emily eventually set up her own buffing business employing people she used to work with. Married to Thomas Trippet - 'Trip' to his friends - they plan to build a life together. Trip is now a partner with his half-brother in the Trippet family's cutlery manufacturing business, but their success is threatened by the Great Depression of the 1930s. And then comes the threat of another war...