Since the loss of her parents, Meredith Burnley has contented herself with a solitary country life, looking after her increasingly and mysteriously ailing half-sister, Annabel. But Meredith's peace is shattered when her uncle schemes to marry her off to his son in order to gain her inheritance. Desperate, Meredith has only one choice: to flee with Annabel to their estranged grandparents' London home. But their arrival soon reignites a family scandal - and kindles unexpected romance. Happily reunited with the girls, Annabel's grandmother resolves to convince her nephew, Stephen Mallory, the Marquess of Silverton, to abandon his rakish lifestyle and wed Annabel. Stephen is clearly captivated - but with Merry, the wrong sister!