Ingrid Eriksson, a social worker, decides to find out something about the problems facing housemaids and gets herself a job as one at the home of John Willman's family. John's son, Åke, falls in love with her and numerous complications arise before the course of true love runs smoothly.
Maria is a waitress at a local restaurant when an older man propose to her. She is a bit skeptical but agrees to marry him and become the mistress of his estate Kvarngården. Maria had a son which she was forced to give away for adoption when he was born because she could not take care of him. She has keep contact with the child and posed as a kind aunt. She has not told her new husband about her son and when the years go by and no children of their own comes along the resentment and bitterness grows. When the adoptive mother of Maria's son dies she and the adoptive father agrees that the best thing for the boy is to come and stay with Maria at Kvarngården. She also hope that it will make her husband come out of his bitterness to have a young boy around. The result is unfortunately quite the opposite.
One day, a theater company to Iron Creek. In the city's steel mills meet the young actress Monika young Erik. The love between them is from the very clear but complicated by the fact both have careers.
