Northern England, 1838. Tilly Trotter, a high-spirited young woman, does not accept Hal McGrath's advances. The young farmer Simon Bentwood likes them, but he decides to marry someone else. Even though Tilly doesn't get what she wants, she energetically takes her life into her own hands. She learns to read and dance and is quite over the top with the conservative villagers. Many obstacles cross Tilly's path. Unable to digest her rejection, McGrath takes a terrible revenge.