In which the winter woodsman Mr. Melbury prepares with careful pride for the return of his educated daughter Grace, whilst the village stirs with talk of their curious new neighbour and the quiet partnerships that bind the community’s labour and life together. Tidings from town and rustic companionship intermingle gently amid the humble homestead as plans are made for Grace’s homecoming, underscored by the tender anxieties of a father and the unspoken hopes of those around him.