The Marquis of Alverstoke is bored. Family and friends are always making demands, so when a distant cousin shows up seeking his patronage, he is not inclined to agree.

Frederica Merriville, head of her young family since the death of their parents, has brought her brood to London in an attempt to find a brilliant match for her stunningly beautiful younger sister. Unfortunately their guardian, the Marquis of Alverstoke, appears to be too bored and cynical to bother. But the Merriville family is lively and likeable and as Alverstoke finds himself rescuing them from one scrape after another, he has to admit he's getting attached. Particularly to Frederica herself, who is so busy trying to keep her younger brothers in line and get her sister married off, she is slow to notice. But as their partnership blossoms, it suddenly becomes clear that Alverstoke is no longer bored...he's in love.