The lives of two young women collide in Victorian
England when a group of thieves concoct an elaborate scam to defraud a
young heiress of her inheritance. The story alternates between the
twisting back alleyways of Dickensian London and the cloistered gloom of a Gothic mansion in 1862.
Part One
Since she was orphaned, Sue Trinder (Sally Hawkins) has been brought up amongst thieves and charlatans. She has been protected and cared for by Mrs Sucksby (Imelda Staunton) and taught to become a fingersmith (a pickpocket). But when Mrs Sucksby's old friend Richard Rivers (Rupert Evans), known as Gentleman, offers 20-year-old Sue £2,000 to assist him in one of his scams, she cannot resist.
Passing himself off as a proper gent, Rivers has befriended a young lady, Maud Lilly (Elaine Cassidy),
who stands to inherit a fortune when she marries. However, Maud's maid
has recently left her service and, without a chaperone, Rivers' access
to Maud is limited. He wants Sue to be accepted as the new maid and to
help him win Maud over. Once married, Rivers plans to have Maud
committed to an asylum and he will then take her fortune for himself.
Arriving at Briar, the estate where Maud lives with her wealthy bookish Uncle Lilly (Charles Dance),
Sue enters another world. Maud and Sue are of a similar age and
appearance but their experience of life couldn't be further apart.
Maud's existence is one of wealth and prosperity inside a grand house,
where she is her uncle's secretary and also has the duty of reading to
her uncle and his friends. Over the course of a few months, Sue and Maud
become friends and, briefly, lovers. Despite Sue's growing feelings for
Maud, she is convinced to proceed with Rivers' scam. On Sue's advice,
Maud accepts Rivers' proposal of marriage as a way of gaining her
freedom from her uncle.
Once married to Maud, Rivers' next plan is to get her admitted to the
asylum. But in a dramatic twist, Sue is taken to the madhouse as "Mrs
Rivers" and she realises that Maud has been in on the plan from the very
beginning.
Part Two
Having
disposed of Sue, Rivers takes Maud to London to Mrs Sucksby's house.
There Maud learns that Mrs Sucksby is the mastermind behind her escape
and Sue's downfall. Maud is plagued by doubts over her treatment of Sue
and the fake life that she presented.
In reality Maud was orphaned and brought up by her uncle, a cruel
man, who hardened her heart. The nightly readings in his library were
not as innocent as it appeared to Sue. Maud was forced to read
pornography to her uncle and his friends. Tormented by the cruelty of
her existence, Maud found in Rivers a way out.
By marrying him, she could escape the prison of her uncle's house.
But what Maud hadn't expected was to be so affected by her friendship
with Sue - or indeed that she would fall in love with her. In order to
save herself from her uncle, Maud had to reconcile herself to hurting
Sue.
But even Maud couldn't have imagined that her world would be further
turned upside down. Mrs Sucksby reveals that through a series of twists
and turns Maud and Sue were switched at birth
— they have been living each other's lives. Mrs. Sucksby arranged the
whole scheme. Marianne Lilly, before being incarcerated in the asylum by
her evil brother, changed her will, leaving one half of her wealth to
her own daughter, Susan, and the other half to Maud.
Mrs Sucksby explains to Maud that she has no choice but to comply
with the rest of the plan. Maud is further devastated to learn that they
have no intention of rescuing Sue from the asylum.
Acknowledging the wrong she has done, Maud knows she must escape Mrs
Sucksby if she is to rescue Sue. She manages to get out and finds her
way to an old business associate of her uncle's, but he refuses to help
and sends her away. Alone in the alleyways and streets of London and
unaware of the dangers that lurk, Maud realises she has no choice but to
return to Lant Street. Mrs Sucksby is overjoyed to see her and Maud discovers that she is in fact Mrs Sucksby's own daughter.
Meanwhile, employing all the underhanded tricks that her childhood
has taught her, Sue escapes from the asylum. She heads for London where
she plans to get her revenge on Maud for what she sees as betrayal.
At Mrs Sucksby's, Sue confronts Maud, Mrs Sucksby and Rivers; a huge
row ensues and in a struggle Rivers is killed. Despite Maud being guilty
of Rivers' murder, Mrs Sucksby confesses to protect both girls and soon
after is executed for the crime.
Maud disappears and Sue, realising that Maud was just an innocent in
Mrs Sucksby's scheme, sets off to find her. Acknowledging their feelings
for one another, the two women are reunited.
Sally Hawkins as Sue Trinder
Elaine Cassidy as Maud Lilly
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