故事发生在位于澳门的一条小街之上，在这里，居住着一位带着四个女儿的母亲。大女儿罗曼英（李婷 饰）个性爽朗，总能够给家中带来欢乐的气氛。二女儿罗兰心（胡燕妮 饰）天真乐观，对未来充满了美好的愿景。三女儿罗倩美（祝菁 饰）到了对爱情产生好奇的年龄，希望有朝一日能够邂逅属于自己的情缘。四女儿罗竹君（冯宝宝 饰）虽然年纪很小但志气很大，脑袋里塞满了古灵精怪的念头。 一晃眼多年过去，四个姑娘都出落成为了亭亭玉立的少女。罗曼英终于获得了属于自己的家庭，过着平静但是祥和的日子。罗兰心获得了出国深造的机会，她将这个机会让给了罗倩美，自己则前往香港追梦。

南北戦争によって国が揺れ動く時代、アメリカのゲティスバーグに住むマーチ一家の母と4人の娘のメグ、ジョオ、ベス、エイミーは、北軍に従軍する父の留守を守って暮らしていた。しかし戦火で家を失い、一家はニューコードに住むマーサおばさまを頼って引っ越すことになる。新しい家での慎ましくも楽しい暮らしとともに、隣に住むローレンス家と家族ぐるみで付き合いが始まる。やがて南北戦争が終わり、父フレデリックが家族の元に帰って来る。そして時が経ち、メグは結婚、ジョオは小説家を目指してニューヨークへと旅立ち、姉妹はそれぞれの新しい人生に歩みだすのだった。

At the lush Evenswood estate in Concord, Massachusetts, Edith Adelon (Cari Shayne), a beautiful orphan, lives as the paid companion to the daughter of the wealthy Hamilton family, although they regard her as one of their own. Years ago, Henry Hamilton (Tom Conti) saved Edith from an Italian orphanage at the request of his long-deceased brother. Now, Edith is his daughter Amy's (Brigitta Dau) prized friend and confidante. As the Hamiltons await a trio of visitors for the annual Greens Cup horse race, Beatrice Hamilton (Meredith Baxter) asks for Edith's help in finding a suitable husband for a cousin, Ida Glenshaw (Brigid Walsh Brannagh), with one of two visiting eligible bachelors. But when it becomes clear that both the young men have affection for Edith and not Ida, jealousy soon develops, leading to malicious conniving and brutal backstabbing. Despite the growing love between Edith and one of the young suitors, because of their conflicting social classes, the couple is reminded time and again that their love can never be. The Inheritance is a story that centers on an innocent young woman's struggle to make sense of her position within the Hamilton household and in society, and the love she feels for her patrons, as well as for a young man she can never marry.