After years of working in a millinery shop, Miss Harriet Peabody dreams of the day when she'll open up her own shop and sell re-fashioned gowns to independent working women like herself. When a delivery errand goes sadly awry, her job--and her chance at saving enough for her shop--is at stake all due to a rather unfortunate misunderstanding with a customer.

Mr. Oliver Addleshaw enjoys a certain position in society, but his real aim is to follow in the footsteps of men like Cornelius Vanderbilt. On the verge of his biggest business deal yet, he learns his potential partner prefers to deal with men who are settled down and respectably married. As matters stand, Oliver's ex not-quite-fiance recently became unhinged and lost a poor shop girl her job. Oliver feels bad for the hapless Harriet and, hoping to kill two birds with one stone, asks for her help in making a good impression in his business deal.

Harriet dives into the circles of high society head first, only to find that her love of fashion can't make her fashionable. She'll never truly fit into Oliver's world, but just as she's ready to call off the fake engagement, fancy dinners, and elegant balls, a threat from her past forces both Oliver and Harriet to discover that love can come in the most surprising packages.