England, 1937. In the village of Blacknowle, 14-year-old Mitzy Hatcher has endured a wild and lonely upbringing, so the arrival of renowned artist Charles Aubrey is like a breath of fresh air. As Charles's muse, Mitzy develops a deep and abiding bond with the Aubrey household. Gradually, Mitzy begins to perceive a future she had never thought possible, and a powerful love is kindled in her. It will be almost 75 years before the consequences of this potent desire are fully played out, as a young man in an art gallery looks at a hastily-drawn portrait and wonders at the intensity of it.