It is 1938 and the final days of the British Empire. In a bungalow high up in the green hills above the plains of Ceylon, under a vast blue sky, live the Ferguson family - Bella, a precocious eight year old, her father Henry - owner of Pitlochry, a tea plantation - and her mother Virginia. The story centres around the Pavilion in the Clouds, set in the idyllic grounds carved out of the wilderness. But all is not as serene as it seems. Bella is suspicious...

1932, Dunfermline, Scotland. Marion Crawford, a bright and ambitious young teacher, is ready to make her mark on the world. Until a twist of fate changes the course of her life forever... 1936, Windsor Castle. At first this ordinary woman is in a new world, working as a governess to two young princesses, in a household she calls home but where everyone is at a distance. As the course of history changes, she finds herself companion to the future Queen,...