In this Regency comedy of manners, Vivian has a piquant focusthe efforts of a titled, widowed matron to set up a gambling parlor in her rented house at fashionable Cheyne Spa. Lady Augusta Mabyn, who has two nubile wards to look after, is not only caught up in the wagering fever that infects the ton, but must contend with old rivalries and a romantic episode that enlarges to include the Prince Regent and his inamorata Mrs. Fitzherbert. The action moves between the resort and London; attention is paid to the shattering of social traditions and to the mutual attractions blossoming among the sprightly members of the next generation.