Anne Herriot is the wealthy daughter of a successful mill owner. Deciding that it is time to marry, she travels to London on the expectation that her fortune will help her secure a noble husband, despite her background in trade. Drawing up a list of likely candidates with her solicitor, she decides from his description that she is not interested in Jack Belden, a new but impoverished viscount with a slightly scandalous reputation. Yet, after she meets him, as time passes, she starts to wonder if perhaps Jack should be moved to the top of her list.