Set in early 20th-century England, the story follows Lucy Muir, a young widow seeking independence from her overbearing in-laws. She moves to the seaside village of Whitecliff and rents Gull Cottage, a house rumored to be haunted. There, she encounters the ghost of its former owner, the gruff yet charismatic sea captain Daniel Gregg. Initially startled, Lucy stands her ground, and the two form an unlikely friendship.