A struggling young entrepreneur, Robert Moore, brings modern machines to his factory, which puts the local population at risk to such an extent that he will see an attempt on his life. To save a failing business, Moore considers marrying the wealthy and proud Shirley Keeldar, despite the fact that his heart belongs to the shy Caroline, who lives totally dependent on his uncle. Meanwhile, Shirley is in love with poor Louis, who is tutoring her uncle's family.
Though Louis reciprocates her affection, ambition, and awareness of the wealth gap between them, they don't allow him to admit it. Shirey, written by Charlotte Bronte right after "The Strange Fates of Jane Eyre", is a passionate tale of a class, gender, and generation conflict among the moors of northern England and the turbulent era of the Napoleonic Wars.