Lady Virginia Sackville would rather read a book alone than attend yet another superficial high society party with her controlling duchess of a mother. She steals snatches of freedom where she can find them until one day she meets Ralph Clifton, an injured naval lieutenant with a charming smile. Ralph didn't recognize the pretty young woman as a peer of the realm when he flirted with her, but he does notice the effect she's had on his heart. When he learns of the chasm between his and Lady Virginia's stations, he tries to keep his distance but finds it far more difficult than he'd anticipated. Do they each have what it takes to challenge the social order keeping them apart?