When orphan-lass Portia Galton comes from the Sussex sticks to live with rich relatives in Regency London, her young cousin Dulcie is delighted. But Dulcie's mum--Lady Kimball, Portia's aunt-in-law--fears that bright, vivacious Portia will damage vacuous Dulcie's chances in the marriage market. So plans are hatched to marry Portia off quickly to an unfashionable solider type: handsome, cloddish Ivor Turbayne. Portia, however, has already been smitten with love for lordly Jeremy Newlake (and vice versa). Thus there are lots of misunderstandings and complications ahead--especially since, predictably, Dulcie and Ivor are destined for each other. And the climax comes when, not very plausibly, monstrous Lady Kimball insists that Ivor abduct Portia into wedlock--which, of course, means a Lord Jeremy rescue. Very run-of-the-Regency-mill (there's also the Kimballs' son, who wants to wed an unsuitable gel), sprightly in tone but a bit more idiotic than absolutely necessary.