Burke Devlin was a wealthy entrepreneur, who made his fortune in the town of Collinsport, Maine. In the world of financial enterprise, his only true equals were the esteemed members of the Collins family, whom he had known for over twenty-five years (Novel: Victoria Winters). Burke maintained a long-standing rivalry with Roger Collins, whom he considered to be his nemesis. In 1966, Burke met Victoria Winters, the governess to Roger's young son, David. Sparks of romance fluttered between the two, but Vicki's heart belonged to a man named Ernest Collins.