For 17-year-old Maureen, the blue dress was a reward for all the days she had spent scrimping: the dance Eddy was taking her to was a formal, and she wanted to make him proud of her in front of his wealthy friends. But the dance went wrong from the beginning: Eddy wore a regular suit in order not to embarrass Maureen, and Maureen realized why he had done so and was upset. From then on, misunderstanding was the order of the evening. But even so, all could have been set right again, except for pride and the outside circumstances which took over. Everything and everyone seemed to have a hand in keeping Eddy and Maureen apart: the jealousy-ridden wife of Maureen's employer; the mysterious stranger who was too interested in Maureen's welfare; Maureen's own kid brother with his dangerous secret agreement; and Eddy's father's sudden serious illness.

Huffley, the favorite Yorkshire village of all Dorothy Evelyn Smith fans, provides the colorful setting for this charming story of young love, told as only a delightful craftsman can.