As the South struggles through Reconstruction, Lewis Ginter attempts to rebuild his lost fortunes in the Manhattan banking sector. After his only sister returns to Richmond, he struggles to fit in with society as a lifelong bachelor. An invitation to join the growing Richmond tobacco industry sets his move back to Virginia in motion, but an encounter with a courier haunts his thoughts. Risking his new opportunity, he desperately seeks out the young man's family to convince them that he is just the candidate for his new enterprise. As the two make the journey south, they discover that they have far more in common than just business and success: they find love despite their age gap. In Richmond, they build a life together, weathering criticism, overeager parents seeking to marry off their daughters, and long separations as they work to build their empire.