John, aka Lord Teylesmore (Ralph Forbes), thinks he's found a way to get popular London stage actress Elsie Hilary (Ruth Chatterton) to marry him after she's turned down his daily proposals for a year - he'll announce their engagement in all the papers! Shocked and dismayed, John's staid, blue-blood family attempts to get Elsie to break off the "engagement" with a �5,000 bribe. Infuriated, she becomes determined to wed the young aristocrat. An emergency family council is called at the Teylesmore country estate, with John's favorite cousin, Edward (Basil Rathbone) - who's used to his family's disapproval thanks to a scandal of his own - arguing for Elsie's acceptance. Convinced she will soon chafe against the confines of the ruling class, the family welcomes Elsie, at least on a temporary basis. She wins the clan over, but soon finds her heart wanting another.