A gripping 1920s saga set in the shady Docklands area of Southampton. Tilly Thompson, at nineteen, dreams of adventure and excitement. How she longs to travel the world like her friend David Strickland, an engineer officer on the Aquitania. But the 1920s is very much a man's world. Tilly's brother Jago worries about her, especially because of her fascination for Eddie Chapman, the owner of the Blue Pelican Club. A charismatic man of dubious character, Eddie is very interested in the young redheaded Tilly, who dances so well. Tilly's innocent world becomes a dark and dangerous place as her wildness leads her into the shady world of horse racing, the criminal element of Southampton and, finally, grave danger.