Capt. Sims and Dr. Campbell plan to run the deserted Logan's Inn together. After they put a lot of money and work into improving it, Charlotte Logan shows up and claims her uncle willed her the inn. Her young son Thomas feels neglected.
Neil has been deputized by Constable Payne to witness serving routine summons. While out they see the York coach robbed by the ruthless outlaw Sam Carver. Carver and his men kidnap Harriet Sims. Neil and Constable Payne must rescue her.
When Cleghorne raises his price to cart produce to York, Capt. Sims and Neil build a raft to go down the Grand River to Lake Erie to connect to a barge to New York. Their trip is plagued with setbacks and several Iroquois are watching them.
Neil and Larry hope to get jobs with the railroad and travel to Baltimore, but Neil starts to lose interest in travel when he falls for a young woman staying at the Campbells'. The Sims contentiously celebrate their 5th anniversary.
Everyone is busy preparing for Neil and Christine's wedding. Afterwards they plan to go to Baltimore where Neil and Larry have railroad jobs waiting. Christine's father arrives claiming she is engaged to another man and takes her home.
Captain Sims' pretentious nephew Kevin comes to visit. Sims' horse Hector dies from a mysterious illness. A strange young woman wearing a dark, hooded cloak is hiding in a deserted old cabin in the woods. The farmers fear she is a witch.
Sims awakens to the sounds of a break-in and finds a baby downstairs. Sims wants to give him to the authorities, Harriet wants to keep him and Mary McTavish offers to take him; but Dr. Campbell has a hunch about who he really belongs to.
Dr. Campbell treats two different men on one day for gunshots - one an escaped slave and the other a slave owner pursuing him. John is so taken by the two former slaves' tales of the joy of life on the road, that he runs away to join them.
The tax collector is collecting tax from the farmers. One cannot pay and may lose his farm. Two actors arrive and want to help the community put on a production of Hamlet, but Peter suspects the play is just a cover for their real plans.
The Maitlands buy the farm neighboring the Sims. Sims recognizes the father as a soldier who ran when faced by the enemy at Cameron's Cross in the War of 1812. Sims tells Harry Thorpe whose father died there. Thorpe threatens the Maitlands.
An Iroquois woman and her son work for the Campbells in exchange for room and board. It soon becomes apparent the woman is not well. She wants to find her son's father, a white man, before she dies. She believes he will care for her son.
Emma is offered a regular column on rural life in "The Colonial Advocate", but has writer's block. A bison scares Thomas Logan and John when they camp out. The bison may be the solution to their winter provisions and Emma's writer's block.
Thomas Logan and John are playing 'Robin Hood' in the woods when they find a fair maiden asleep in the woods. Jenny is a runaway servant who was convicted of theft. John and Thomas want to 'slay her dragons' and help her escape prison.
The school is reopened with a loan from Capt. Sims. Rebecca Sims is the new teacher. Capt. Sims is angered when he finds out the new textbooks say the Americans won the War of 1812 and threatens to take back his loan.
Reverend Alex Buchanan, an old friend of Dr. Campbell, has come to Canada to serve at an Indian parish out west. Emma overhears Alex tell Dr. Campbell what a good wife she will make and she believes he is planning to propose to her.
Captain Sims publicly condemns the violence in Ireland to justify establishing a local militia. Some Irishmen are listening and kidnap Sims to make an example of him. They take cover in the Campbell house and hold John and Emma hostage.
Brother and sister ornithologists come to catch specimens and to sell subscriptions to their manuscript, "Birds of the Canadas". A competitor, an agent for Audubon, steals their owl. The owl escapes and takes refuge in Emma's barn.
Dr. Campbell is taken by the Chippewa. He performs a tracheotomy to save a boy's life and is rewarded with the sister as his bride. This angers a Chippewa who loves her. A trader who acts as their interpreter also wants the sister.
Captain Sims invites Sir Reginald, an elderly British fencing champion, to give an exhibition. John is bullied by an older boy, Ned. Captain Sims offers to give John some fencing tips so he can teach Ned a lesson, but Dr. Campbell objects.
Dr. Campbell is offered a position at a hospital in Toronto. Emma and John sadly make preparations to leave the farm. Captain Sims is visited by his sister who is very critical of his household. She announces she wants to move nearby.
A few days before Christmas a fire damages the Sims' home. They must find a place to stay. There is no room at the inn so, much to Capt. Sims' dismay, they have to spend the holiday at the Campbells' cabin. Dr. Campbell is preparing haggis.
Reformer William Lyon Mackenzie comes to Wellington County to debate his political opponent, Capt. Sims and dine with the Campbells. He invites Dr. Campbell to Toronto where Dr. Campbell and Sims get caught up in political intrigue.
Dr. Armstrong invites Dr. Campbell to Scotland to lecture at the University on Indian herbal cures. Campbell's advice on easing childbirth pain upsets Rev. Goff who finds the concept heathen. Emma has her stories published in Blackwood's.
In Scotland, Emma attends finishing school and is falling for Fraser Armstrong. Emma has a story published that suggests the government should help the poor. This outrages Mrs. Armstrong. Miss McKie at Emma's school is supportive.
Proctor, a delirious soldier has killed another soldier and run away. He ends up at the Campbell farm where he finds Emma alone. Dr. Campbell has gone to see a patient, a boy with rabies. Proctor mistakes Emma for Becky, the girl he loves.
The Campbells make a trip to Guelph. Emma is treated to a new dress, but while she is picking out fabric the store is robbed and the owner killed. Emma is traumatized and can't remember what she saw. Over the next week she slowly remembers.
Three Shiners from Byetown come to cut down trees for timber which they say is for the Navy under the Broad Arrow policy. Sims and Campbell find the policy only applies to pines. The Shiners try to use intimidation to get what they want.
Neil Campbell is now a deputy with the Baltimore constabulary. When his partner is killed during a prisoner's escape, he and Christine go to Toronto to fulfill his partner's dying wish. John makes a golf club for his father's birthday.
Sims buys a hot air balloon from a Frenchman. Sims and Dr. Campbell try it out, but after they have drifted miles away, they realize they don't know how to land it or control its path. Meanwhile Harriet finds out the balloon was stolen.
The Campbells are entertained by the tales of a tinker who dines with them. Emma and Rebecca trick their fathers into letting them take the stage to Guelph. On the way they hear a gunshot and find the tinker has been shot by a highwayman.
Neil arrives at Logan's Inn accompanied by High Sheriff Bates from New Brunswick. They are looking for the notorious thief and escape artist, Henry More Smith. Smith befriends Thomas Logan and uses him to help him escape.
Lord Fairfield and his sickly son, Charles, go hunting when they visit Canada. Resenting his father's over-protectiveness, he and John float downriver on the raft while the others sleep. Charles' hope of finding adventure is answered.
Neil visits and finds his father has injured his back, so he stays to help with the farm. Neil and John are disturbed by the disappearance of a father and son who planned to start a Utopian community and try to solve the mystery.
John Campbell is having fairytale-like fantasies about a new girl at the school. Capt. Sims advises him that women are impressed by men with a source of income, so he starts a trading post with a lonely widower.
No one realizes the new miller has a teenage son, Earl, who stays inside in fear of being bullied for being "simple-minded". Emma befriends Earl and encourages him to go to school, but the school children are unkind, even John.
Dr. Campbell sees an unkempt woman wandering in the woods. That night she hides in the Sims' barn and is violent when approached by Capt. Sims. She is much calmer with Harriet and Emma. Her husband comes to find her and is abusive to her.
Pat Harmon, the blacksmith, is kidnapped by the wife of an escaped convict to remove her husband's shackles. While tracking the convict, Neil Campbell runs into Will Forrester and enlists his help. Pat starts to bond with his kidnappers.
Capt. Sims has ordered a special gift for Harriet for their anniversary but mistakenly receives a plow. The Campbells ordered a plow but receive a piano which they donate to the school. A rumor spreads that Dr. Campbell is courting Rebecca.
Rebecca convinces Emma to dress like a man so she can travel more freely. Capt. Sims comes home unexpectedly, so Emma sneaks out dressed as a man. Thinking she's a thief, Sims pursues her. They are both accosted by three women transportees.
Neil pays a visit to buy horses from Sims. Dr. Campbell's bargaining offends Sims who raises his price. They travel to a stable at Maryhill but find it closed. They buy horses from a scam artist and are chased by the horses' real owners.
Neil takes John to help him shingle his roof. On the way they are robbed by three homeless children. Neil wants to take them to the authorities but they keep running away. They are all held at gunpoint by two escaped criminals.
A stranger claims she was once betrothed to Capt. Sims and jilted. Harriet is upset and Sims moves out. Rebecca is nervous about the School Inspector coming for dinner so Dr. Campbell pretends to be Sims and takes his place at the dinner.
Samuel Penrose, a world traveler and scientist, comes to the area and is kicked out of Logan's Inn when his experiment explodes. He stays with the Campbells and shows them his microscope. A neighbor blames him for the death of his horse.
Harriet moves out when Captain Sims' bossy sister Margaret comes to visit and will not return until Margaret leaves. However, Margaret decides she must take care of Sims until Harriet returns. John's turkey keeps escaping.
Emma and John take care of the Inn and Thomas Logan when Charlotte takes a 4-day trip to Dundas. Thomas' misbehavior,a stray dog and a bear threaten to ruin the visit of an important political connection for Capt. Sims.
Charlotte finds a lost letter for Emma from Scottish publisher, Blackwoods, asking her to write a book about her life in Canada. The due date is less than a month. Emma fights paper shortages, writer's block, a bear and wind to finish it.