Sarah Burton is determined to secure improvements for her school building as term time begins and attracts the notice of councillor and vicar Alfred Huggins in her bid to gain funding. Pupil Lydia Holly is also gaining notice, especially for her school work, which rises hopes for Sarah as a possible promising pupil, but a sudden turn of events at home threatens those prospects. And a harsh winter for 1932 devastates much of the community, including local squire farmer Robert Carne, who Sarah finally meets properly when she is on hand to help when one of his cows goes into labour.