Independently wealthy, Miss Anne Hemingford acts upon her generous grandfather's final wish that she should go out into Society and make a proper life for herself. Accompanying her aunt to Brighton for the summer, Anne is frustrated by the lack of purpose in those around her. The exception is Dr. Justin Tremayne.

He is a man Anne can truly admire for his commitment to helping the poor. Apparently Justin is unsuitable marriage material, but at twenty-seven, she is prepared to ignore Society and go with her heart. Her hopes are sadly dashed by the arrival of Mrs. Sophie Tremayne, Justin's sister-in- law. There is some mystery surrounding her—and it intimately involves the man Anne has come to love….