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.

Eva Örn is a newly graduated teacher, who becomes a school teacher in rural Vikarlunda. She is a beautiful young woman with firm opinions and she does not live up to the locals' picture of the ideal female teacher. She has an affair with the pastor, Ingvar Hagson, but they have to keep their love a secret.

Old fashioned teachers are taught swing dancing by a student.