Lord Mottesford wagers he can bring Prudence to heel, but she resists his blandishments. He should help his cousin Charlotte, poor and threatened with dreadful Hubert, while her stepmother, the former cook, seeks a wealthy husband for her daughter Emma. Introducing Charlotte to acceptable men, Prudence forgets the wager. She believes Mottesford's astonishing proposal, but when he is trapped into a betrothal with Emma, Prudence realizes her love for him.