Marianne Devenish arrives in Great Bentley expecting to find her great-uncle in residence. Instead she meets the Earl of Wister, Theodolphus Rickham, pretending to be Sir Theodore Devenish. Unable to stay in a bachelor establishment, Marianne moves in with the permanently impecunious Lord and Lady Grierson at Frating Hall. But what is their mysterious connection to the local smugglers? As Theo's dissembling leads to misunderstandings and heartbreak, Marianne finds her reputation in tatters and is forced to flee. Ostracised by society, she seeks refuge at a small estate in Hertfordshire where her life turns into a nightmare. Can Theo rescue the woman he loves before she is lost to him forever?