Miranda Pardew treated young awkward Barnaby Traherne very cruelly at a London ball. Now years later, the tables are turned. He is a dashing diplomat and she is an impoverished widow hired to be the governess for his nephews. The two meet again on the trip to his brother’s house for Christmas. Eventually, as events of the holiday week unfold, Barnaby starts to wonder if perhaps he should put aside his grudge against Miranda and recognize that she has changed, very much for the better.