Lady Susan is a high-class widow whose waning finances threaten her status and lifestyle. Accompanied by her American confidante Mrs. Alicia Johnson, who is waiting for her elderly husband to pass on, the sharp-tongued Lady Susan sets her sights on charming Reginald de Courcy in the hope of a marriage and financial security. Her plans are disrupted with the arrival of her daughter Frederica, upon whom Lady Susan thrusts the dull, but extremely wealthy, Sir James Martin.