Halifax, 1832. Anne Lister returns to Shibden Hall, havingdiscovered that her would-be companion, the aristocratic VereHobart, has accepted a marriage proposal from a man. Despiteher affection for her elderly aunt, Lister is frustrated bythe shabbiness of her ancestral home and finds her father andlong-suffering sister difficult to live with. When Listerdiscovers that her land is rich in coal, her plans totransform the estate soon provide a welcome distraction. On theneighboring estate, shy heiress Ann Walker is quietlydelighted to hear that the charismatic Anne Lister is back.Meanwhile, a hit-and-run accident on Shibden land puts achild's life at risk, and Lister's new French maid,Eugénie, finds herself in trouble.
