When Lady Olivia Darnley is seemingly abandoned by her mother, she accepts the assistance of a stranger, Lady Skeffington, who offers her a position as a companion, much to her son's dismay. Lord Peter Skeffington is not at all pleased that his mother has chosen to not only take Lady Olivia under her wing, but her dog, too. Despite his reservations, he finds in Olivia a shared interest in books and begins to look for her daily until he faces the uncomfortable realization that he is in love with her. Still hurt by her mother's disappearance and desperate to find her, Olivia relies more and more on Peter's support but a shocking betrayal by the man she has come to trust and love, shatters her new found happiness. Will Peter manage to overcome the rift between them that he has unwittingly caused? Will Olivia accept not only his apology but also his proposal of marriage? Is there a future for this apparently mismatched pair?