Laura's situation is dire. She and her little daughter are being evicted from their home. Her husband has committed suicide and her house is now the property of the next male heir. When her godmother offers her a position at Chiltern Hall, Laura leaps at the chance. The new Earl of Chiltern is representing England at the Congress of Vienna, and his home and his nieces cannot be left to the care of the servants.

Laura accepts the position of chatelaine at Chiltern Hall. She loves the house and the children, and she becomes fond of the estate steward, the gorgeous Mark Kingston. Then the earl comes home. And Laura falls in love. How can she remain at Chiltern Hall feeling the way she does?