Home from eleven years as a prisoner of War in France, a young man balks at marrying the ward of his uncle, the bane of his existence since childhood. Luckily, she feels the same. He flees to London to live it up and find romance elsewhere. His uncle follows with his ward, who is desperate to see London for the first time and to seek a man to love who will love her in return. They both find other interests, but a growing attraction between the childhood companions somewhat complicates matters. As does the motives of the charming aristocrat who courts the young heiress. A complication : two pages at the end of this story are missing. The penultimate page and the one before it.