Victoria Winters travels to Collinsport by train from New York to be the governess of 10 year old David Collins. Also on that train is Burke Devlin, who seems rather mysterious. We get to see Elizabeth Collins Stoddard and Roger Collins argue over if it was wise to hire Victoria. Victoria and Burke go to the hotel where she can wait for a cab. He seems rather disturbed about the place. He leaves and goes to a local hangout called the Blue Whale, where he meets an investigator he has hired. Victoria meets Maggie Evans, who tells her she is a jerk for accepting the job. Even after all the things that has been said to her, she goes to Collinwood and is invited in by Elizabeth.

At the Collinwood mansion, Victoria meets with the reclusive matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, while Burke Devlin talks with a private detective at the local Blue Whale tavern.

Elizabeth's brother, Roger Collins, desperately searches for local artist Sam Evans. Meanwhile, Victoria meets Elizabeth's teenage daughter Carolyn and begins to wonder if Collinwood is haunted.

Victoria is interrogated by Roger over her knowledge of Burke Devlin and their encounter at the train station. Later that night, Victoria has an unpleasant first meeting with David Collins

After her first night at Collinwood, Victoria has decided to go back to New York. Victoria explains to Carolyn that she is an orphan and came to Collinsport because she believed that somehow she would find out about her past. Near Widow’s Hill, Victoria meets Sam Evans who tells Victoria about Josette Collins. Victoria finds out from Sam that Elizabeth has not left Collinwood in eighteen years. Sam instructs Victoria to tell Roger that he wants to talk with him. Victoria returns to her room to find that David has helped her “pack” while she was out. Victoria changes her mind and decides to stay at Collinwood with renewed hopes that she will find out something about her past.

Victoria looks for David in the basement of Collinwood. While looking, a stranger enters the room and asks who she is. He accuses her of snooping around. Elizabeth comes down and says it's Matthew Morgan, the caretaker of Collinwood. She asks Victoria why she is in the basement, and when Victoria tells her that she is down there looking for David, Elizabeth tells her David would not come down there. Once she leaves, Elizabeth finds David hiding in the basement. Later, Victoria sees Matthew again, stoking the fireplace. She says she hopes they can one day be friends, and she starts asking him questions. She finds out that Elizabeth fired all of her servents 18 years ago and then hired Matthew, giving him a cottage on the edge of Collinwood grounds. In the basement, Elizabeth gets out a crate of adventure books that had belonged to Roger when he was a boy. David does not want anything associated with his father. Carolyn tells Victoria that she should ask Elizabeth about what happened 18

Sam Evans and Roger discuss Burke Devlin's return. Sam agrees with Roger's fear that Burke is planning revenge against the Collins family for his jail sentence, but refuses to offer any help.

Carolyn's flighty romance with Joe Haskell takes a new turn when she admits that she is in love with him, but refuses an offer of marriage. Victoria investigates Elizabeth's claims about her job offer.

Victoria learns of the tragic legend of Widows Hill, a cliff located close to Collinwood, where many suicides occurred. Meanwhile, Carolyn is intrigued by Burke and decides to learn more.

Roger puts pressure on Elizabeth to send David away to boarding school, a conversation the boy overhears. Burke gives Carolyn false information on the reason for his return.

Burke Devlin pays the residents of Collinwood a visit, apparently hoping to reassure Elizabeth that he has no vendetta to pursue against her family. He does, however, ask if Collinwood is for sale.

Roger encounter Victoria on Widows' Hill and tells her the story of its legend and history. Meanwhile, Maggie Evans tries to learn what is troubling her father, Sam.

Elizabeth and Roger continue to harbour suspicions about Burke, in spite of him offering the hand of friendship. As Victoria walks to Matthew's cottage, she notices Burke examining Roger's car.

Victoria learns about David's relationship with Roger. Burke arranges to meet with Roger at the Blue Whale, and spends time talking with Joe and Carolyn, at her request.

David is now convinced that his father hates him. Roger leaves the estate in his car to meet with Burke. On the way, he loses control of the car and crashes.

Roger emerges from the accident without serious injury, but is shaken by the experience. Meanwhile, Elizabeth is appalled to learn of Carolyn's flirtation with Burke.

Elizabeth comforts David after he has a nightmare about Roger's car accident. Collins family employee and retainer Bill Malloy begins to suspect that Roger was the victim of foul play.

Learning Victoria saw Burke by his car, Roger takes her to Burke's room at the hotel to make a confrontation. Meanwhile, David harbours the bleeder valve taken from Roger's car.

Elizabeth continues to insist that Carolyn should not visit Burke again, adamant that he is attempting to destroy the Collins family. Bill Malloy attempts to learn more about Burke's motives.

Roger confronts Burke, accusing him outright of causing the accident and attempting to kill him. Victoria, however, is unimpressed by Roger's assumption of foul play on Burke's part.

Victoria is disturbed to receive a letter informing her that her background has been probed by a private investigator. Meanwhile, Bill Malloy confronts Burke about Roger's crash.

Sam Evans reluctantly accepts a commission from Burke to paint a portrait of him, apparently destined for the Collinwood drawing room. Roger is annoyed that Carolyn does not believe Burke's guilt.

Constable Carter arrives at Collinwood to investigate Roger's car accident. In an attempt to prevent his sabotage being revealed, David tampers with the evidence.

Constable Carter investigates Roger's claims of sabotage, questioning Burke. However, Carolyn proves herself an ally to Burke, saying that she brought him to Collinwood without his influence.

Roger presses Elizabeth for an explanation of her reasons for hiring Victoria, which she refuses to give. Meanwhile, Victoria is shocked to discover the missing bleeder valve in her room.

The police obtain a warrant to search Burke's room, believing him to be a suspect. When Victoria attempts to retrieve the bleeder valve, she discovers that it has been taken.

Burke meets with his private investigator Stuart Bronson, who provides him with a complete breakdown of the Collins family finances., as he begins to make plans.

Roger learns from Maggie that David has been seen trying to get into Burke's room at the hotel. As the police investigations near a conclusion, Burke and Roger's animosity increases rapidly.

Burke finds David in his hotel room and is quick to strike up a friendship with the boy. David later disposes of the missing bleeder valve in Burke's room, not knowing that Burke has seen him do so.

Roger struggles to come to terms with the revelation that his own son attempted to kill him. David continues to deny the accusations until Burke produces the missing bleeder valve.

Burke defies expectations and lies to absolve David of involvement in the crash. However, he later privately confides in Victoria, warning her to beware of her young charge.

Roger is forced to admit to a shocked Elizabeth that David was behind the murder attempt. Later, under questioning from Sheriff Paterson, Elizabeth lies to protect the boy.

Joe Haskell pays an unannounced drunken visit to Collinwood, passing out in the mansion. Meanwhile, Victoria journeys to the Blue Whale for a meeting with Burke Devlin.

Burke tells Victoria that he has asked his private investigator to research her past, and has received a report. However, it reveals nothing new. Joe and Carolyn reflect on their relationship.

Growing uneasy about the prospect of painting Burke's portrait, Sam tries to abandon the project. Meanwhile, Carolyn is jealous to learn of the developing relationship between Victoria and Burke.

A furious Roger demands of Sam that he not paint Burke's portrait. Elizabeth begs Victoria to stay at Collinwood, and later confers with David in an attempt to find a solution.

Worried at the escalating feud with Roger, Sam entrusts Maggie with a sealed letter. Roger confides in Victoria that he too has heard the mysterious sobbing sounds coming from the basement.

Matthew Morgan threatens to kill Burke, for his interference in the affairs of the Collins family. Meanwhile, Carolyn courts the attentions of Burke by leaving her ring for him to find.

Aware of the detrimental effect Burke's vendetta is having on the Collins family and Elizabeth in particular, Bill Malloy offers to help clear Burke of manslaughter, but only if he leaves town.

A wily Carolyn continues to pursue Burke, following him on a business trip to the nearby town of Bangor. Meanwhile, Sam makes a devastating admission to Bill Malloy.

In spite of extreme reluctance on the part of Roger, Bill Malloy demands that the meeting will go ahead as planned, to take place at 11pm at Roger's office at the cannery.

Roger arrives for the meeting with Sam and Burke, and shares an uneasy hour waiting for Bill to arrive. However, after he fails to appear after an hour, the meeting is reluctantly abandoned.

David receives a crystal ball as a gift from Burke. Upon staring into it, the boy announces that Bill's disappearance is because he has been murdered by Roger.

Burke is despondent at the news of Bill's disappearance, believing that he will now never clear his name. As the news spreads, concern for Malloy continues to grow.

David's attempts to scare Victoria continue with a message written on her mirror. Later, while walking along the cliffs, Carolyn and Victoria make a terrifying discovery.

Roger places pressure on Sam to keep his silence, insisting that they must keep to their alibis. Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Carolyn are devastated by Bill's death.

Burke is adamant that he will find the person behind Bill's death and asks Victoria for information on Roger. The sheriff reveals that Bill's watch stopped when he fell, confirming the time of his death.

David begins to study tidal charts, intent on discovering where Bill fell into the water. Meanwhile, the sheriff questions Sam as the investigation continues.

The sheriff questions Roger about the murder, and Elizabeth lies to offer her brother an alibi. A suspicious David later eavesdrops as Roger makes a false confession to Elizabeth.

Victoria visits Maggie and Sam to have dinner and get to know them better. Looking through Sam's paintings, she is surprised to discover a portrait that closely resembles her.

Burke makes a dramatic entrance at the Evans cottage, inviting himself to join the meal for Victoria. There, he tells her his version of the events that led to his manslaughter charge.

Roger is anxious to learn about Victoria's evening with Sam and Maggie, refusing to believe that she does not have a hidden agenda. Sam is shocked at Burke's accusations that he killed Bill Malloy.

A distressed Maggie visits Collinwood, where Elizabeth denies Burke's accusations. Matthew vows once again to protect Elizabeth from the threat posed by Burke.

Matthew threatens that Burke will pay a heavy price if he continues to interfere with the affairs of the Collins family. The sheriff orders that Burke is to stay away from Collinwood.

Burke journeys to Collinwood, now intent on settling his vendetta against the Collins family. Roger and Sam exchange threats as they discuss their affairs at the Blue Whale.

Roger takes Victoria on a tour of the Collins cannery, before taking her to see the sheriff. In spite of her concerns about Roger's innocence, Victoria repeats her account, providing Roger with an alibi.

At the Collinsport Inn diner, the seeds of Burke's plan to infiltrate Collinwood with Mrs Johnson are planted. Duly, Carolyn later suggests to Elizabeth that Mrs Johnson should be given a job at the mansion.

Sam continues to be troubled by Roger and recent events. Elizabeth is given the coroner's verdict on Bill's death, which rules that he was a victim of accidental drowning.

Roger is delighted to learn of the coroner's verdict, and that he is no longer a murder suspect. Burke is outraged at the decision and vows to expose Roger's guilt.

Matthew Morgan learns of the verdict on Bill Malloy's death. Later, while walking along lookout point, Victoria finds the unique fountain pen which Burke earlier gave to Carolyn.

Matthew Morgan continues to make threats towards Burke. Meanwhile, Mrs Johnson visits Collinwood, where Elizabeth offers her the job of housekeeper.

Burke realises that Roger must have lost the fountain pen at Lookout Point, implicating his involvement in the death of Malloy. Roger goes to David's bedroom and removes the pen.

Roger buries the pen to dispose of the evidence. Later, when Victoria accuses David of stealing it, Roger make an uncharacteristic display of defence for the boy, taking David's side against hers.

David attempts to scare Victoria by telling her stories about the ghosts that haunt Collinwood. Luring her to the closed-off wing of the mansion, David locks her in, leaving her trapped.

As a storm rages, Sam and Burke drink together and discuss the ghosts of Collinwood. In the closed-off wing, Victoria is visited by the ghost of Malloy, who warns her to leave Collinwood immediately.