Cullen - Bartlett Dynasty

When Catherine Tedder's husband dies suddenly in September 1822, she is left alone with two small girls, Margaret and Sarah. Accepting the proposal of James Blay Jr. sees her trapped in a marriage of convenience - for him. Struggling with the vagaries of her wayward husband, Catherine and the girls are forced to adapt to his tyranny. Moving them between Hobart and New Norfolk, James refuses to let the girls attend school. It's 1823, and Catherine's rights as a wife are limited. After spending time in prison, James Blay Jr. appears to be a changed man: Attentive, caring, supportive. But then, a tragedy changes everything.

The letter from the bank is the last straw. William Blay sells his farm before it's repossessed and absconds with his wife Margaret and three daughters to Port Phillip. But life in the new colony is dogged by the same dramas that hounded William in Van Diemen's Land. A new start is not as easy as it seemed. Making the heartbreaking decision to have her husband admitted to the insane asylum, Margaret Blay finds a way to feed her children and pay the rent. But at what cost? Can William Blay's children move on from the stain of their father's insanity, and succeed where he failed?