A Woman of Substance

At nearly 80 years old, Emma Harte heads one of the world's largest business conglomerations, but her children are plotting to topple her empire. Returning to her native Yorkshire, Emma reflects on her past and improbable rise to power from humble beginnings as a maid in service at Fairley Hall. When Emma falls into a relationship with one of the Fairley sons, it changes the course of her life.

Now pregnant and alone, Emma turns to her friend Blackie for help and eventually finds a job in the textile industry. She works hard and is able to open her own shop, but her animosity towards the Fairleys only grows after a series of personal tragedies. Meanwhile, she decides to marry but neglects her family in favor of her growing business success.

Emma finds true love with a dashing Australian soldier during WWI, but he has a wife waiting for him back home. In the midst of her complicated love affairs, Emma continues to devote herself to her work, the one constant in her tumultuous life. Back in the present, Emma proves to her children that she remains a woman of substance, not to be trifled with.