In 1941, Catherine Sorensen is a receptionist at the New York accounting firm where her father works. She feels great about her life. Jobs like hers are hard to come by for young women as the Great Depression lingers on. Catherine wants to be professional, but then, she meets the son of one of the firm's wealthiest clients. Robert Collins is dashingly handsome and charming. She falls for him immediately but is sure she will never see him again. Furthermore, their relationship is doomed due to their different social classes. Imagine Catherine's surprise when Robert shows up at her house a few days later, and they fall in love. Before they can get married, Robert must serve overseas in World War II. During his absence, he has given Catherine a puzzle. Somewhere, he hid $20,000 that will be theirs to share as husband and wife. She is supposed to find it before his return, but what turns into a game becomes a refining fire that shapes the rest of Catherine's life.