A destitute noblewoman, Elinor, is forced to accept a position as a governess in the countryside. However, there is a mix-up: the carriage takes her to another mansion, where Lord Carlyon is expecting a woman who has promised to marry a debauched and indebted young man in return. When the mistake is cleared up, news arrives that the man has been badly wounded in a fight, and the lord persuades Elinor to marry the dying man. By the time the night is over, she is the widow of a man of ill repute and mistress of a debt-ridden estate. And in addition, French agents are interested in the old residence, because Elinore's late husband was apparently also involved in espionage...