Two families on opposite sides of the globe are shaken by the rise and fall of the Titanic, "queen of the ocean". When pampered Jacqueline Abington secretly elopes with the family gardener, she asks another woman to take her place on the much-anticipated maiden voyage of the Titanic. Tessa Bowen hails from a poor corner of London but has been granted the opportunity of a lifetime - a ticket to sail to America aboard a famed vessel. But there's a catch: She must assume Jacqueline's identity. For the first time in her life, Tessa stays in luxurious quarters, dresses in elegant gowns, and dines with prestigious people. Then a wealthy American man takes an interest in her, and Tessa struggles to keep up the ruse as she begins falling for him. When tragedy strikes, the game is up, and two women's lives are forever changed.