 Wealthy Elias Graves builds his home on the top of a hill, where a group of squatters have taken up residence at the bottom. Many of the men in the squatters  village have their eyes on young Tess, and one of them, Ben Letts, frames Tess s father for murder. While maintaining her father s innocence, Tess must keep her love for Graves  son a secret, while caring for Elias  daughter s illegitamate child.